Iridescent Melodies
by Levin13
Summary: "Why does my heart beat so fast when I see you? I think it knows what I want, and yet... I don't." Megurine Luka finds herself unexpectedly and undoubtedly falling for her teal kouhai Miku. But what does she really want? And they say love comes in so many shades... Yuri. MikuxLuka with other pairings.
1. Flower For You and Song For Me

**This has actually started from a simple hobby of mine. Whenever I watched nice animes, or read fanfics, I'd spend my time imagining. Pretty soon, I would create and add my own characters. Then I'd spend my spare time enjoying stories in my head, writing, deleting, re-writing and enjoying the scenes as they rushed through. A personal hobby of mine I've never told anyone for I never felt the need to.**

**This had started similarly with the work of Seishun Vibration's. Yet sometime later on... I realized that I wanted my own story, with my own characters, pasts, plots and storylines. And so I've decided to write my own; my wish now... is to be only to be me.**

**Here is the first piece of my writing. I sincerely wish I can present you the end.**

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><p>Chapter 1: Flower For You and Song For Me<p>

_So THIS is the Vocaloid mansion…_ the girl thought as she stared blankly at the giant white mansion in front of them. The sheer size of the giant household, an unintentional display of its residents' wealth, was threatening to overwhelm her. She had never seen such a beautiful house before in real-life, and even those she saw on movies were nothing compared to this. A forest opened behind the mansion, joining with the mountains a few kilometers behind. The double door was large and ornamental, made with some heavy, dark wood.

"Shira-nee…" She felt the smaller girl hold onto her upper arm, clutching for support they both knew she could provide.

"_Daijobu,_" She said, ruffling her sister's hair with her other hand, planting a kiss on her forehead, making the smaller girl relax significantly.

"Let's go in, Yura-chan."

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><p><em>Go.<em>

_Don't go._

Grunts. Moans.

_Sleep._

_Don't sleep._

Inside a room, dark as night at the time of ten thirty in the morning, a girl was at war.

Opponent: herself.

_Kill her._

_Bless her._

The maddening scent of freshly made pancakes has been seriously messing with her sleep since an hour ago, leaving her in a torturous half-asleep, half-awaked state of mind. She knew the culprit behind this, of course. Only Miku, her best friend was capable of creating such destructive aromas. For some reason her bedroom door was slightly open, though she was sure she had closed and locked it last night before going to sleep. The smell wafted in through the crack and penetrated her brain, disturbing her dreams and thoughts. She cursed the day Miku somehow got her hands on a spare key to her room.

She turned around and pulled the covers around her, trying to escape the appetizing scent. Damn it, she was a late sleeper. Miku knew that better than anyone else in the mansion.

Well, she was _not_ gonna give to Miku's trick, especially something as ridiculous as this; she swore on her name of Megpoid Gumi.

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><p>Luka yawned at the breakfast table, rubbing at her eyes to drive away sleep. She had managed to get one only halfway open, and she wondered why she was so sleepy right now, something her sleep-numbed mind couldn't quite remember. As a general rule Luka tended to go to bed early, no matter the fact that she was an adult.<p>

"Good morning, Luka-senpai~" a very cheerful voice greeted her, coming from the direction of the kitchen.

"Good... good mooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiing ," Luka replied, a yawn tying itself with her words to make it just understandable. She rubbed at her eyes, and finally managed to get them fully open, though it still felt like sand was grating under her eyelids. They flew open right after as Luka saw who the greeting had came from.

"I just need to finish this, so wait a bit, 'kay?" Miku said, going back into the kitchen to finish her work. Luka nodded just a bit too late, after Miku had turned her back. She began to silently fiddle with her clothes, trying not to look at Miku as she worked, and whenever she did she would quickly lower her face back again before peeking out again. Miku caught her eyes just once, and gave her a sunny smile, making the pinkette jump,before she turning back and went to cooking again, this time singing to a tune. The tune sounded familiar to Luka, but she couldn't quite place it in her mind.

"W-What is that song?" Luka asked, trying to keep the tremor away from her voice. She felt heat on her face, and hoped Miku wouldn't turn back anytime soon.

"_Don't look back, this is still just the middle of the road_— you don't remember, senpai?" Miku looked curiously. "It's the one we've been filming last night."

"...Oh." Now she remembered why she was so sleepy. The two of them had to sing the same song until it was perfect.

Pretty soon Miku set down a plate of pancakes in front of her, and Luka only managed to mumble 'thank you' before Miku went back to finishing her work, cutting off any more conversation. She ate slowly, enjoying the sweet, fragrant flavor, and her eyes still going up to Miku's figure every once in a while.

"Ah, Miku-chan. That was a nice breakfast." Luka said once she was done, wishing she could have more, had she not had to keep her proportions in check.

"Thanks, Luka-senpai." Miku giggled at the pinkette. "I guess you enjoyed your meal then?"

"I did. Really, how do you make such pancakes? I can't figure out what's so different from what you and the rest of us do..."

Miku leaned into Luka's ear without warning. Luka suddenly froze, her breathing becoming irregular as color crept up her cheeks. _She's so close to me…_ She thought disjointedly.

"It's a secret, senpai." Miku whispered directly into Luka's ear, her lips almost brushing the skin.

_What? What did she say? I can feel her breathing on my ear. Miku's just right next to me_— _no! Keep your head out of the clouds! Stop imagining things, Luka. Just take a deep breath_—

"So, what are you gonna wear for the two girls coming today?"

_Wha_— _that's my neck. It tickles… but it feels nic_— _stop! You're not supposed to feel like this! Keep the fantasies away from your life. And miku's your actual _kouhai_, what are you going to do? There's no way she would_— _but her breathing is so warm… I'm_—

"Miku-nee-san, can I have my breakfast?"

"Sure, Miki-chan, I'll get some more. And I think it's about time Gumi-chan came down too…" Miku unthinkingly fingered a key in her pocket. Miki had dressed herself casual outfit, but she managed to be stylish enough for anything social.

Miku's presence vanished from Luka as the tealette went to the kitchen for more pancakes. Luka let out a shuddering breath, one she didn't realize she had been holding; her body relaxed as tension left .

"I-I'll go get ready!" Luka yelled behind as she sprinted to her room, forgetting to put away the dirty dish unlike she always did.

_Hmm? Luka-nee's acting a bit weird…_ Miki thought.

"Morning~ Gumi-chan~!" Miku called out cheerfully as Gumi stumbled her way to the breakfast table with her eyes closed, not to mention that her hair was seriously messed up as well: Gumi's normal state right after bed.

"Don't call me by that name anymore…" Gumi grouched, slamming her head on the table as she fully collapsed. She wordlessly grabbed her share of pancakes set by Miku, poured some syrup, and started shoving them in her mouth with her head still glued to the table.

Damn Miku, it was good.

"Eh? But it's a pretty name, Gumi-nee!" Miki protested, sitting on the table as Miku served her breakfast.

"Huh? Oh… thanks…"

"I-It's nothing, Gumi-nee!"

Gumi eyed the red girl through a crack of her eyes; she still couldn't force them completely open. An emerald eyebrow was raised in question.

"Say, Miki… what's up?"

"H-huh? What do you mean, Gumi-nee?"Miki stammered.

"It's ten-fifty and you're dressed up like you're going somewhere. Not the studio, it's too late for that," Gumi shoved another forkful of pancakes into her mouth. "nor is it unlikely you're coming back from it. You prefer to work all day long and rest for the next few. Are you meeting someone or something?"

Miki giggled, "Oh, Gumi-nee! Didn't you know? Today—"

"Miki-chan! Gumi-chan! How do I look?" Miku stormed in the room she had somehow left moments ago without Gumi's knowing. She had dressed up in skinny teal jeans, untucked white button up blouse layered over with pink sweaters. She came to a standstill in front of the two, doing a complete three-hundred degree spin for them to appreciate the look fully.

"It looks great on you Miku-nee!" Miki squealed.

"Thanks, Miki-chan!" Miku took an exaggerated bow. "What does Gumi-chan think?"

"Nice outfit…" Gumi dragged her head back to air. Her eyelids were still too heavy for her to open.

Miku groaned, loudly. "Megpoid Gumi… can't you show some more spirit? Come on! 'Nice outfit'?" Miku looked pointedly at the greenette, "was that the best you could do?" Miku puffed her cheeks.

"Whatever… why the hell are you dressed up anyway?"

Miku looked horrified. "She doesn't know?" She whispered to Miki in shock.

Miki nodded slowly, "I'm afraid so…" She mumbled with her red ahoge bobbing.

"Know what?" Gumi snapped.

"The two new vocaloids!" They answered in unison. "Honestly Gumi-chan." Miku shook her head in exasperation, "How could you have forgotten? The date's been set since a week ago! They're arriving"—Miku checked her iPhone—"five minutes from now! We've got to make good first impression! Don't tell me you don't know that!"

Gumi sat up straight. Five minutes?

Sure, they've seen her before, probably numerous times, but this was to be the first time they saw her as Megpoid Gumi, not the idol. And oh yeah, she could remember it now. The only problem was that it was too late.

"I— shit!" Gumi realized a) she was still in her sleepwear b) hasn't taken a shower yet, c) she had maple syrup running trickling down her cheek, in rapid succension.

"Come on, Miki-chan!" Miku shouted, "Get me something Gumi-chan would usually wear from her room!" She passed Miki her the spare key.

Miki snagged it in mid-air. "Yes, Miku-nee!" Miki ran off in a hurry. Gumi made a mental note to take that key back when Miki came back.

Miku grabbed a comb someone left from the table and began brushing Gumi's emerald green locks mercilessly. "Wipe your face, Gumi-chan." She instructed, straightening her messy hair. Gumi wordlessly obliged, something both girls thought would never happen in life. She worked meticulously, yet she took care not to hurt the green girl by tugging on her hair. Gumi waited impatiently for Miki to come back, and yet she couldn't help relaxing a bit as Miku brushed her hair over and over again. It was actually quite pleasant.

At last, Miki stormed down the stairs. "Here Gumi-nee— Aaaaaah!" Miki missed one step due to the fact her vision was severely limited by the clothes she picked for Gumi: white panda hoodies, orange sneakers, yellow-green slacks, a silver bracelet and her orange goggles for accessories. Luckily, she was at the last step.

Unluckily, the floor was hard marble and Miki's hands were both full of Gumi's clothes.

Gumi jumped, shoving away her chair and Miku without thinking, her body parallel to the ground. Her reaction was instaneous, catching Miki in her arms just before impact, and probably provided Miki from suffering serious damage.

"Oof!" Gumi groaned as Miki crashed fully on her figure. Miki wasn't heavy, but neither was Gumi muscled and tall. She was athletic, yes, but that didn't help much in situations when other girls crashed on top of her.

"I-I'm sorry, Gumi-nee! I—" Miki realized suddenly that she was in Gumi's arms, lying on the ground above Gumi's body. Her face turned into an alarming shade of red that was pretty close to her hair. She felt her breathing accelerate.

"We don't have time!" Miku threw Miki an apologetic glance as she pulled the both of them to their feet. Gumi put a hand to her forehead as a slight wave of pain crashed on her. "Put these on, Gumi-chan!"

"Wait, here?" Gumi scowled. "You've got to be out of your freaking mind if you think I—"

The doorbell rang. Exactly on time.

Multiple voices sounded from the living room, some excited, some curious. Nevertheless, most showed interest to the first girls joining their strange group of singers after Miki. Gumi threw glances to either direction, checking that the dining room was indeed empty except for the three of them.

"Come on! Everybody's out in the living room! No one's gonna see you!"

"…Turn around."

Miku gasped as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Gumi glowered. Miku decided that it would be a very good idea to turn around.

Gumi changed in to clothes Miki brought for her, checking every now and then to see if Miku wasn't stealing glances. She didn't worry about Miki, the redhead was keeping her hands firmly over her eyes. "I'm opening the door!" "Onee-san! I'm opening the door!" They heard the Kagamine twins shout as they raced to open the door for the new residents.

Gumi managed to put on the last piece of clothing just before she heard the doorknob turn. Miku grabbed Gumi's wrist as soon as she was done. "Quickly, Gumi-chan!"

"Wait— _Baka!_" Gumi was dragged out to the hall so fast she left a cloud of dust in her wake. Miki followed behind, not wanting to be late either.

Gumi saw the two of them as the door opened. One of the twins, impossible to tell apart in her state—being flown across the entrance hallway by Miku and still five meters away from the door—opened the door for them. The other twin stood pouting just behind. Streams of bright sunlight streamed through the widening crack.

"G-Good morning," The girl on their right started to introduce herself first. "I-I'm Yukira." Her voice was a sweet and high soprano. She was trembling a bit, but they could tell she was delighted. She was wearing an innocent smile as pure as any children's, maybe even more pure then some. The eyes were large and just as innocent, going perfectly with her smile. They were the deep yellow of topaz. Her hair was kept in a jaw-length bob cut and trimmed close so that the strands would lie close to her face; making her look even younger than she really was.

And it was white. It was as purely white as clouds high in the heavens, catching the morning sun and reflecting them gloriously, throwing them around her face to form a kind of a halo. A perfect angel for sure, even her petite form was adding up to the image. Her clothing seemed to be on same level with Miki's: casual, yet not informal; with lots of consideration from her other clothes, Luka estimated. She didn't think she would have thrown on first thing she saw if she was in her place.

She looked pure. Untouched and yet unbeknownst to the world. Luka could hear more than a few hearts melting. _Wow... she could unlock anything with that smile to help her… _but she didn't really think this girl would. She just couldn't picture her putting on a fake smile for any reason.

"I'm Hanane Shiraki... pleased to be here." The other girl spoke. Eyes were slightly turned left to take in the older sister's figure. The voice was slightly deeper than Gumi, but lighter than either Luka or Lily. She would have her own place in voice range, which would be quite a nice factor for her fame. It would be hard to compete with the other vocaloids as it is.

Miku suddenly stopped short when she reached her destinated stop, however, it was completely unexpected for Gumi; she lost her grip on the teal girl's hand and was sent flying straight forward.

_Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhh! _Gumi screamed loudly as she ever did, but later, when she had time to think about the event that transpired in rational light(as much as she could anyway), she would realize it was only in her head. Nobody else reacted it. They didn't even look away. Not even Gakupo, her brother.

Shiraki was not quite a head taller than Yukira, the smaller girl's hair coming only up to her jaw. She was shapelier than her younger sister, with long, slender arms and legs, giving her an hourglass figure. She was wearing skinny jeans the same color as her sister's skirt. Black leather belt with metallic buckle held it in place and adorned her waist at the same time. She had hid her amazing upper body under a silver polo shirt.

On the fourth finger of her left hand rested an elegant thin-banded ring of silver with a pale blue aquamarine set in place. They all knew both aquamarine and silver wasn't cheap, though not terribly expensive, but looking at harmony with her pale fingers it seemed to be as precious any diamond. If she got it as a present whoever he/she was must have been saving up for some time. Lily vaguely thought in the back of her mind that it would look good on her. It would have, but not as good as it was now. It looked like it was created for the sole purpose of decorating that hand, a perfect match with her eyes and hair.

Her hair was the shame shade as her sisters: pure white. But there was a subtle difference to their tone. Yukira's white reminded people of clouds, her sister's white reminded people of snow and ice. It came all the way down to her ankles, and would have reached to ground if she threw her head back. A single strand blew toward Rin who made a grab for it. It stayed in her grasp for less than a second, darting away at the last possible chance. Thick and lusturous, it was something she had every right to be proud of.

Icy would have been a good word to describe the eyes, hers were the palest color carrying the name blue. Not even Lily's blue was paler and clearer than the shade in the new vocaloid's. They were sharp and defined, but carried warmth and gentleness contrary to their color.

Gumi took all of this in two seconds it took her to cross the distance between her and Hanane Shiraki.

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh!" She screamed, this time with her gifted voice, then a set of steady arms caught her in a warm embrace, holding her to place. She held on without thinking, relief washing over her as she realized she was not about to crash headfirst on the stone floor. She buried her head on her savior's chest, trying to hold back tears of relief and only succeeding halfway. A broken, miserable sob escaped her throat despite her efforts. Not a normal reaction, but neither was she expecting it to happen. She was caught under her guard with the rushed events, and emotion forced itself out through the crack, more fiercer then expected or normal.

"Well… I didn't expect my welcome present to be Megpoid Gumi-chan."

Gumi looked up to meet Shiraki's icy pale eyes. Sudden heat crept up her cheeks as she realized the situation she was in.

Correction: the situation Miku had put her in.

"Gumi-chan! I'm so sorry! I didn't—"

"SHUT UP!" She roared at everyone in immediate area, tears of embarrassment flowed freely down her cheeks, only fueling her embarrassment furthermore. She cried when she was embarrassed, a trait of hers she hated the most. Right now she hated everything, the most hated factor was how Shiraki could easily stare down on her with her diffrence of height.

Gakupo cleared his throat. "Gumi, I don't think—"

"JUST SHUT UP!" Gumi wailed at her own blood-brother. She turned, and stormed to her room in less time it took her to be thrown to Shiraki by Miku.

Silence at the entrance.

"Well," the girl who was soon to be known as Shira around the mansion and the world opened her mouth, breaking the awkward silence, "where will our rooms be?"

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><p>Gumi ran into her room and hid herself under her green covers. She groaned out loud as the scene replayed itself in her mind. Tears still kept flowing out from the corner of her eyes, tears she knew she couldn't stop, only cry out fully. She ran a hand over her face, trying to wipe them away, even though she knew they would be replaced by fresh tears just as quickly.<p>

_Oh, great first impression, all right._

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><p><strong>Well, I admit this is a short chapter after a long AN, but I promise my other chapters will be longer! XD**  
><strong>I actually re-wrote the first chapter comletely... but I like this one a lot more than what I first had.<strong>

**Have a nice day, everyone! :D**

**-Iluvian Melody**


	2. Liberty Heart

**A longer chapter this time, as I promised XD**

**I hate myself when I can't keep my promises… how can I tell others to keep it when I don't? :P**

**This chapter was actually written before chapter1, I had to rewrite that one completely, as I said. When I first wrote this it grew to almost 40000 words, most of them meaningless and irrelevant to the story. I had to divide it into two separate chapters, and it was hard trimming the mess to make something presentable. I had to add a couple of scenes here and there to replace, or connect original ones. It was hard… ugh. But at last the job is done! XD**

**Here's the second chapter of my first story ever.**

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><p>Chapter 2: Liberty Heart<p>

Hanane Shira woke up at 5:00 am next morning. She chose to stay with her eyes closed, knowing that the time was even earlier than her usual six am. She _was_ a morning person, but this was too early, she'd try to get the hour of sleep she lost if she could... but she gave up almost immediately. It seemed like sleep was going to deny itself to her, she knew this even without trying hard for it. Not a speck of drowsiness was left in her too clear mind. The newest Vocaloid put her hands under the pillow, trying to get as comfortable as possible.

_I'm here, in the Vocaloid mansion._ The thought came to her and she enjoyed it, musing over the words, flicking them around with her mind.

_We are Vocaloids_. The second thought followed almost immediately. This one stayed in her mind longer, making her break out in a smile.

_Yes… we are Vocaloids. Too._ Her smile became a grin; a soft sigh escaped her lips. They were the Vocaloids? It still sounded ridiculous. The way they almost seemed to shine yesterday morning, at the first meeting. Well… Gumi-chan ran away crying, but… she shrugged mentally. That wasn't really her fault. She only caught the girl before she fell to the ground, for heaven's sake. She didn't expect Megpoid Gumi to have embarrassment problems. But what did she really know about her, or any of them? Only through their songs.

She felt, more than heard, the sleeping figure beside her. Last night, Yura-chan came to her room and asked she could sleep with her onee-chan, almost on the verge of tears. She had let her in and comforted her until her imouto-chan was asleep again, this time with smile on her face.

They picked two rooms right across each other, in the same hall as most of younger Vocaloids used. Shiraki's faced north, Yukira's faced south. They could have picked one large room for the two of them, or a room adjoining each other like the Kagamines, but decided two rooms facing each other would work out better.

She opened her eyes, taking in the light blue ceiling that has lost its color in darkness.

_Maybe I should go make breakfast or something_, she thought, and got up from her bed. Yukira suffered from occasional nightmares and asked for her sister to comfort her. Though last night wasn't precisely the case. She was usually bright and full of energy, enthusiasm and smiles plus a good deal of shyness as well. But there was a side to her quite different from her usual demeanor.

Shira shrugged again, this time physically. It was Yura-chan just being Yura-chan.

She managed to get up without waking up her sister. Not really surprising, Yukira was a heavy sleeper. She proceeded to get dressed using only her sense of touch and very limited sight. Which meant she gave herself quite a few bruises since she was not much used to her new room. Many furniture were completely new, having been just bought the day before yesterday using the advanced pay-check from Spica, the industry the two of them now belong to. She finally managed to get dressed in simple white shirts and blue slacks. Yes, she loved white and blue. So what? They were her color. Literally. She could enjoy them. And all the other Vocaloids had color schemes too; it would be fitting for the two of them to have their own.

Last day was mostly spent unpacking, so there were almost no time for talking or socializing. The atmosphere was still a bit uncomfortable with even the cheekiest and/or most sociable member. Not to mention the highly uncomfortable atmosphere between her and the greenette. They pretty much evaded each other yesterday.

She checked up on Yukira once more. She was sleeping soundly with the smile still on her face. The white haired girl pulled up the quilt so that it would properly cover her sister's body.

Satisfied, she got up again from her bed, wondered if she really should go and cook breakfast, then decided against it. She could already smell something nice. What was it…? She sniffed at the air, but it was still too thin to be recognizable yet. Shira decided to enjoy a nice bottle of Chardonnay until it seemed fitting for her to come down to eat, maybe even help if it was something she could.

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><p>"<em>Miki-chan! You're so cute eating cherries like that!" Miki blushed, not knowing what to say. She ch<em>_ose to focus her eyes on the bowl of cherries instead of the person across it, facing her._

"_Eh?" She let out a surprised sound as a bright red cherry was suddenly thrust in front of her face._

"_Come on! I wanna feed you!" The voice giggled. "Say ah~" The cherry slowly inched closer and closer to her mouth._

"_I-It's alright! I can eat by myself..." Miki blushed furiously, her face the same shade as her hair._

"_Aw, then…" Her lover took the cherry to her own mouth, then kissed it. "How about now?" She whispered, the cherry begining to inch closer to her face once more._

_Miki gulped. This time she couldn't resist, her mouth opened partially and a cherry was gently put inside. She bit down, its sweet taste filled her mouth—_

_She opened her eyes to see her lover's emerald green eyes barely an inch away from hers. Their lips were met together in a kiss ever more sweeter than the fruit on her tongue._

"_You're so sweet." Megpoid Gumi licked Miki's lips one last time before drawing away._

Miki sighed with content, blush and smile appeared on her face though she was still asleep. She wished this dream would last forever, but like all other dreams her mind slowly rose back to reality. Miki stayed in with her eyes closed, letting the warmth and memory halfway drag her to sleep once more.

She gave another sigh, this time with sadness, and got up. Her consciousness has come back fully against her wishes. It has also pushed her dream past the realm of memory. She could only remember it was sweet, involved cherries, and green eyes. Green eyes… does that mean Gumi-nee? She wondered. The details were fading rapidly. Why did some dreams fade, whilst some are remembered for life? She wondered morosely.

Anyway, it couldn't have been Gumi-nee in her dream. Gumi-nee feeding her cherries? If they happened to share a bowl of it, Miki would probably be trying to convince her to try one while Gumi, with a scowl and her hoodie pulled down to cover her face, would be sincerely refusing to eat the ruby fruit. Or as she considered it—the perfect red orbed fruit of extreme sweetness and ectasy which gave sweet dreams, hope, and happiness for anyone that bit its scarlet bubble and release the wine colored juice followed by the sweetest flesh in existence. Just thinking about it made her mouth water.

Miki vaguely wondered if it was possible to get addicted to cherries.

The red girl sighed with disappointment when she realized she wouldn't be able to sleep and return to the dream. She only realized consciously after she woke up that ever since an hour ago, something pretty much exactly same to what happened yesterday's been the thing that's been bothering with her sleep. It was strange how she dreamed of cherries instead of… what was this scent? It wasn't pancakes, but something close... Maybe the bowl of cherries she had last night before going to sleep had something to do with it. She groaned deep into her pillow. She wasn't a late sleeper, but nor was she an early riser. And it was just six in the morning, as her alarm clock told her. On second thought… neither was Miku-nee. In fact, the tealette tended to be a bit lethargic in the very early morning, though she immediately became her usual self after seven o'clock.

She sniffed the air, taking in the delicious scent as much as she could. Her red eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

_Bread?_ She wondered who it was. As far as she knew, no one at the mansions could really bake. Some of them could cook, even cook well, but baking...? Maybe someone took up a new hobby. It might be lethal in that case. She knew what happened whenever any of their members… well, pretty much existed in general. Whose idea was it to house all these singers together in one mansion?

Miki got up and headed for the kitchen with her red ahoge bouncing at on the top. The smell was too good to be from something toxic anyway, it was probably safe to go exploring.

Yeah... probably.

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><p><em>It was morning and the house was filled with scent of Shira-nee's baking. Yukira opened her eyes to look at the alarm clock, checking it was 11:21 in the morning. Sunday, the most beautiful word in any language that existed.<em>

"_Yura-chan? Yura-chan, about time to get up. It's almost noon." Shira's voice sounded from what seemed like very far away. Her gentle voice carring away her consciousness as easily as a draft of spring wind blowing away a petal._

Yukira slowly opened her eyes to meet blue bed sheets and matching thick covers, contrary to the deep yellow pillow supporting her head.

An exasperated sigh escaped between her lips. She came for her sister last night since she couldn't sleep in her new room. She didn't even see it until yesterday, how could she sleep in it? And the mansion was full of people she had never met except for Shira, in which she would now live in. So she went to sleep together with her sister for comfort. It was a perfectly valid explanation. And yet she was mildly embarrassed of herself. What would she do without her…? She didn't know if that sentence was supposed to be exasperated or glad.

She realized that she was still on her sister's bed. Tentatively, she reached out for the thick quilt and breathed in deeply.

Shira's scent, sweet grapes and refreshing mint, filled and comforted her. She breathed a few more times untill she decided it was enough.

_Wait a second…_

She lifted her head and for the first time noticed the smell invading the mansion. It was a smell she remembered from her childhood and early teen age: baking. Not exactly the same, though. This wasn't Shira-nee who was baking. Curious, she slowly made her way down to the kitchen, only bothering to change into regular clothes in the way.

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><p>One person with long pink hair was working alone in the kitchen. A few ovens held steadily browning bread. She thoughts some jams would go nicely along with it too, so she started with peaches but… someone could be allergic; it wouldn't do to make only one kind. So she ended up making strawberry, blueberry and grape as well. Baking was a hobby she had recently taken up, but kept in secret until now. After such a nice breakfast from Miku yesterday, she thought she should probably repay in kind.<p>

_Are you cooking for Miku-chan, Luka?_ A sadistic part of her mind whispered. She tried to brush the thought away, embarrassed. It was nothing like _that_, just a simple thank-you.

_Riiiiiiiiiigghhhhhht…_ the same voice whispered sarcastically. Luka shut it down with an annoyed huff, but she knew she was blushing. It both annoyed her and embarrassed her more at the same time. And the fact that she _was_ embarrassed only made her embarrassed furthermore. She wisely decided to cut down her stream of thoughts.

"Hey, Luka-senpai." A melodious yet slightly unfamiliar voice called out from the doorway. "Can I help you?"

Luka turned her upper body to see that Shiraki was leaning by the doorway. Her long white hair trailed out almost to the floor in this angle. Luka wondered how she took care of that much hair, her hair wasn't that long, but it was enough to know just how time-consuming it was.

"Well…" Luka said hesitantly. "I… guess?" She looked at the batch for cookies she had in the bowl between her hands. It would be hard to do this all by herself, maybe even impossible since she might make a mistake. Yes, help would be welcome. She had no wish to mess up the first day she decided to bake for others

_Awwwwwwwwww… shame, Luka. Then you wouldn't be able to prepare a breakfast alone for Miku-chaaaaannn like a goooooood wife_—

_Wife?_ Luka mentally stuttered, and shut the voice up for the second time. The white haired girl thought about asking the reason for her new senpai's sudden blush, then decided it was probably something that would make both of them embarrassed.

Shira grinned instead, one that made her face a lot more than simply beautiful. "In that case, I'll join you. I enjoy baking but haven't had time for it since a few years ago. Although," she took a sweeping glance at the kitchen in general, "you seem to be doing a good enough job alone. Have you been baking for long?" She asked as she came over the stove to check the jams, dropping a small portion of them in cold water to check their viscosity. Satisfied, she bottled them with easy grace Luka noticed.

"Just a few months." Luka said, glad that a conversation has been sparked easily. She felt rather uncomfortable with silences. "The first few attempts were inedible, though." Luka's face colored again as a few mortifying episodes practically threw themselves at her, all of them involving herself and herself alone. They still managed to be one of the most embarrassing ones of her life. She didn't even want to imagine how it would have been with someone close to her like Lily beside.

_Or Miku-chan, perhaps?_ The voice giggled, its last act before shutting up.

"Good morning_, _Yura-chan. You'll have to wait another twenty minutes or so for your breakfast, though." Shira said without turning to face the doorway. Luka did, and saw that the girl's sister had came down when they were both focused on their work. She wondered how Shira knew. Yukira's mouth was still open in a greeting that was cut off before it started.

"'Kay, Shira-nee." Yukira smiled brilliantly at her sister. "And good morning, Megurine-senpai." The girl waved to Luka.

"Good morning to you too." Luka said, replying the younger girl's smile with her own. She noticed from a corner of her eyes to see Shira's lips curve slightly in a pleased smile. The girl really seemed to be likable at first glance. "Call me Luka, if you would."

The younger girl's smile grew even brighter. "Yes, Luka-senpai." She said cheerfully. Luka remembered her opinion of the girl's smile yesterday, then decided she had been correct.

A red question mark appeared over Yukira's head, making the older girls blink in confusion.

"_Ohayo_— oh, wow." Miki breathed, moving to the side of Yukira so that she could see better inside. "I didn't know you could bake." She stated with obvious curiosity. No wonder, Luka had never told anyone before. She planned to not when she first started; not until it became good enough so that she could bake in the open without being worried of other's teasings. Particularly Lily's teasings, and Shira moved in just yesterday.

"It's… a hobby I recently took in." Luka answered the redhead's question, hoping that her skills had gotten good enough to be presentable.

"It looks like a lot more than a hobby…" Miki muttered as a coffee colored bread was freed from the oven. Yukira giggled. "Well, that's what she calls it anyway." She sent glances to both girls acting in the kitchen. Her own sister was a great at baking too, and she looked forward a breakfast prepared by her after all the years she had been denied of it.

Miki and Yukira watched from the dining room table as the older girls prepared breakfast. They started an easy conversation mainly talking about themselves, and grew steadily closer to each other. They were both glad to have an occasion like this suddenly present itself and took it willingly, taking a step to being friends they would soon become.

"And then this boy who fell for me actually followed me home and gave me a banquet of rose!" Yukira exclaimed. "Was he from your school?" Miki said between amused giggles.

"No, I went to an all girls' school. He was from the one right next. I don't know what he saw in me… I only saw him once or twice as I was passing by." Yukira said slowly. Even to this day, She didn't know the reason for the boy's behavior. Miki thought the answer might be much simpler than what the whitette thought: he had fallen for looks.

Miki giggled again, putting a hand to her mouth. "So what did you do to the poor, distraught boy?"

"Well…" Yukira hesistated. "He tried to kiss me before I said anything. I think he thought it would be sorta romantic, probably got it from a movie or something. Shira-nee kicked him in the face before he could, though." Miki burst in a fit of laughter again, and this time Yukira joined in freely. The older girls in the kitchen heard, then smiled in a reaction to it. The two girls' innocent laughters were joined by another member's coming down from the stairs.

Apparently Miku was forced awake from the scent as well, and managed to catch the last part of the younger girls' conversation. She managed to get to the last the last step and fell to the floor over her own very long twintail, which was actually as long as Shira's when hanged straight down.

"Are you all right, Miku-nee?" Miki got Miku to her feet and helped her to a seat. "I-I'm fine, I-It's all right." Miku's words were cut short by yet another fit of laughter. "Oh, good morning Gumi-chan~" She called out cheerfully at her friend coming down the stairs.

"Uh… shut up already." Gumi muttered darkly. This was the second morning in a row Gumi had been forced awake in the morning, and to top it off, now she should shave off her emerald green hair if she was to keep her promise with herself. The dark aura surrounding the greenette was enough to convince the redhead, whitette, and tealette to shut up in an immediate manner. Gumi then decided to explore the reason for this maddening scent which was not caused by Miku as she had first thought. She made a mental note to apologize to the tealette when she felt like it.

"…Gumi-nee's not a morning person, is she?" Yukira asked timidly when she was sure Gumi was out of earshot.

Miki and Miku exchanged one, single look, teal meeting red.

"No." They answered together. Yukira gulped.

"What the— WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Gumi's yell came from the kitchen, startling everyone in earshot.

"I'm… making breakfast?" Shira's voice came as a reply. Luka had decided to keep her silence, remembering what happened yesterday.

"…"

"Um, you know, all I did yesterday was to stop you from crashing to the floor…?"

"…"

"I think it was Miku-chan who threw you to me...?"

Gumi edited her mental note. Now it read: beat Miku up when I feel like it. She growled before stepping outside, unable to find a suitable argument for the older whitette's words. Moreover, she knew there wouldn't be any even if she searched for it, the part that really got to her. Shira shrugged behind her back. Gumi-chan didn't seem to be really angry. Just embarrassed. She went back to taking out a patch of cookies that would all too soon be devoured—that was the only word that fit—by the Kagamine twins half an hour later. "Pass me the oven mitts, Luka-senpai." She asked the pinkette.

* * *

><p><strong>Two hours later<strong>

The breakfast was a success. Great.

The breads were devoured by all. The Kagamine twins annihilated the cookies Shira and Luka made in what seemed like a heartbeat, contrary to the hours it took to make them. And the cakes Shira had made for some reason even she didn't really know—cakes for breakfast? It was ridiculous—had been devoured. Even Gumi-chan stayed around for a piece of carrot cake.

Yes, the breakfast was a success, a relief for both Shira and Luka; it was a debut... of a sort.

And now... she faced dishwashing. The task that follows every cooking. Hated by many, but had to be done.

Shira tried to sum up the number of dishes in front of her. She couldn't. Usually, there wouldn't have been so much, but it took lots of pots and pans to bake so many different kinds of breads, cake, cookies and pretty much everything she could without messing up with her skill.

_What was I thinking?_ She wondered, a hand pressed to her forehead. Thankfully, there was a dishwasher. But there were way to many too finish in one use. Actually, it would take several turns to take care of all this.

_What. Was. I. Thinking?_ She wondered again, with more force.

Shira sighed, she knew the reason of course: she had been enjoying herself. No more, no less. It had been two full years, ever since she went to high school, she had a chance to bake anything more than plain bread, and a cake for their birthdays. She was enjoying the work too much, and made more than she could handle, not even considering that Luka had baked enough for everyone. Or what _should_ have been enough. Not a single crumb was left over from breakfast.

_Well, someone's gotta do this_… she looked again at the amazing array of dishes, pots, pans, trays, forks, knives, spoons, and numerous other cooking utensils, surrendering to her fate.

With a grumble, she stacked a portion in the dishwasher, pressed 'start', and started doing the rest by hand. It was a task she was familiar with, but that didn't mean she liked it much.

"I think I should help." A delicate, low feminine voice called her attention after a few minutes of silence. She turned around, to meet straight into Luka's eyes that were a much deeper shade of blue than hers.

"Well, I think I should say 'Nah, I can do it myself', but as you can see…" Shira gestured at the giant pile in front of her, "yeah, help would definitely be welcome, Luka-senpai."

Luka's pink hair waved as she moved to start working by Shira's side. "Thanks for helping me with the breakfast."

"Nah, you did most of the work." Shira replied with an easy smile to decorate her features.

"Well, but you made amazing cakes. I only made breads by myself, Hanane-san."

"C'mon, your breads were good enough to be sold." Shira nodded, agreeing with herself. "Yup, breads made by Megurine Luka's own hands. They'd be gone in a heartbeat. And," She turned to meet Luka's eyes. "Call me Shira if you would, I think I forgot to tell you this morning. I'm more used to that"

"All right, Shira then." Luka smiled too.

From that point they lapsed into a comfortable conversation for the second time in one morning, moving over various topics with ease. Weather, clothes, their favorites… and of course, singing. How could they not talk about singing? Luka remembered how the two girls had been when she first saw them at the audition. Their companies decided to keep their newest vocaloids a secret for the public until they released their first songs. So the auditions were held in secret, with only the vocaloids and the winners themselves knowing the outcome. Ten were chosen among thousands of other applicants by respectable judges. The vocaloids themselves chose their new member among the said ten by themselves.

Luka's thoughts passed behind her eyes, keeping a conversation with Shira all the while. Talking to her was actually quite pleasant. She seemed to be a good person. And rather carefree too, it seemed from her way of talking. The time passed with flowing ease for both of them, the dirty dishes decreasing steadily with it.

" —she only told me she was taking the audition only that morning. Maybe she thought I'd object?" Shira rolled her eyes, "Silly girl… as if I'd object to anything she wants."

"You really love her, don't you?" Luka asked.

"I do." Shira said simply. The lack of words only helped carry the truth better.

Luka put away the last dish away. Both shades of blue eyes looked over the empty space where a massive pile had existed only an hour before. Shira snickered, and then put out a hand toward the pinkette. "Good job, Luka-senpai." Luka shook her hand willingly. "Good job, Shira." She was still not sure she could attach '–chan' to the end of the new girl's name. But she might when she thought she had become close enough to. And that might not be too far away, she thought.

Shira leaned her tired body on the counter, enjoying the way the muscles stretched pleasantly. "Y'know senpai, since we still have to wait for the dishwasher to be done can I ask you something?"

"Hmm? Of course." Luka leaned as well, mimicking Shira's movements. God, she was tired. But she had enjoyed the talk.

"Well, I'm glad you picked the both of us," Shira hesistated. "but I thought you were only going to pick one."

Luka smiled. So that was what she was wondering about? "We couldn't let either of you go. The decision was anonymous: both of you." Luka looked over when a reply didn't come as soon as it should have. What she saw surprised her.

Shira was blushing. Her icy pale eyes had a shy note Luka had not seen until to this point. "Wow… I didn't know we were that good." She stammered.

Luka's smile grew even gentler. "You're both here. Isn't that a good enough proof?" Shira cleared her throat and looked away. "What about the other contestants?" She asked, still not meeting Luka's eyes.

Luka shrugged. "They were all good, but none were really good enough to be vocaloids." Shira still kept her face away from Luka, leaving the pinkette to wonder of her expression.

The dishwasher chose that precise second to ring, announcing that it's done its job. "Well, I guess we're finally really done now." Luka said. "I'll put the last ones away."

Shira looked hesitant. "I don't think I'm supposed to do that." Luka flicked a finger dismissively. "But you're the one who did more dishes then I did. I'm doing this._ I_ think I'm supposed to do this."

Shira grinned, her pale eyes almost turned it to a smirk, but just almost. "If you say so. Then guess I'll go take a bath or something." Shira turned around, putting her hands in the pocket of her pants. "See you later, Luka-senpai." She called out, waving a hand behind her.

Luka smiled behind her back. This girl seemed like a good person, she thought as she stacked the last dishes away. She wondered how she and Lily would get together. They both seemed to have a little 'whatever' style to them, appeared easy and carefree at first glance, but had a more serious, determined side as well. They'd either be best friends or rip each other's head off. Luka couldn't be too sure if she had judged the white haired girl correctly; she's only seen her yesterday. But she didn't think she was so far gone from the truth.

"Can I help you, senpai?" A female voice much higher than either of the girls that had been present called her from the side. Luka glanced with her eyes at first, then abruptly turned around fully when she realized it was one of her kouhais.

A certain teal kouhai.

Luka gulped before turning around to face the dishes once again. "No, Miku-chan." Her own voice sounded shaky to herself. She hoped Miku wouldn't notice it. "It's almost done. I just need to put these away." Miku walked over to her until there was almost no space between them. Luka felt heat creeping up her cheeks, meaning she was probably starting to blush. Oh, Miku had better not see this… "You know senpai, you sound a bit strange." Miku commented obliviously. If Luka had been the type to curse, she would have now.

Luka felt the heat on her face only intensify when Miku put her hand on Luka's forehead, checking for temperature. "Hmm… you feel a bit hot too. Are you sure you're all right, senpai?"Luka was only too aware of the way the tealette's breaths touched her cheeks distantly.

She hurriedly stacked the last dishes away, almost breaking a few in the process. "I-I'm alright!" She said rushedly, the pinkette half-walked, half-ran to her room before Miku could say anything.

Miku stared at the place where her favorite senpai had been a second before. She was only trying to help… only it seemed that she had come too late. The dishes were all done, by the same people who cooked on them. It didn't feel right. But the toll on her stomach from their cooking was too much for her to come immediately.

Too bad, she made a mental note to help them over something when she had the chance. Maybe she should help Shiraki-chan make up with Gumi-chan? Ah… she should do that anyway. It_ was_ her fault Gumi ran away crying the first day she saw Shiraki… she wondered if there was a good way to make that happen.

"Hi, Miku-nee!" Len startled Miku from her thoughts. "Ah, hello, Rin-chan, Len-kun." She was not surprised at all to see Rin just a few paces back from Len. The twins made it their mutual policy to do everything together, as everyone knew.

"Why are you here?" Miku asked, genuinely curious. The twins, being the youngest, didn't cook at all. In fact, it was highly encouraged they didn't. They had to refurnish the kitchen two years ago… except for them, only Meiko and Gumi almost never cooked. Both got up to way too late at morning. Meiko because she was almost always suffering from a hangover, Gumi since she never got up early enough. That girl had attendance problems at school too, not because she wasn't diligent or anything; getting up early was simply too much for her to do every day without faltering every now and then.

Miku giggled as she remembered how Gumi-chan looked like on her first day of middle school: messy emerald hair, half-open bright green eyes, ruffled clothes, half-open backpack that had last year's textbooks as she found out a few minutes later. She was so adorable… Miku hugged herself, giggling like any other average schoolgirl talking about their favorite stars with her friends. The only thing wrong with the picture was that she was thinking of a girl instead of a boy, and her best friend at that. The Kagamines exchanged uncertain glances with each other, a way of communication that worked so well for them that they almost had no use for open speech.

"We came to see if there were any cookies left." They answered in sync, deciding the best way to bring their senpai—not technically, they joined the vocaloids almost at the same time but they still used the term on her to be respectful—back to real world was to answer her question.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaa~ Gumi-chan~ you were so adorable~" Miku continued on, lost in the realm memories. Oblivious to the twins' looks she wrapped her arms around herself even more tightly, "And your lips were so—" Miku's sentence was abruptly cut off by a sound that indicates either extreme pleasure or extreme pain. More likely the latter, the tealeatte was now sprawled on the floor with Gumi's footprint of her emerald&orange Adidas sneakers on the back of her head. Gumi was standing behind her friend, blushing in a furious shade of red that was only accented in contrast by her green hair.

"That was for yesterday." Gumi growled at Miku. She brought her foot down one more time before removing it. "And for what you've been saying a second ago." Miku twitched once on the floor. Usually, the Kagamines would be in a frenzy to find out exactly what their currently doubled-over-with-pain teal senpai had meant, but now they kept their silence and stood of in the corner. People thought they were completely erratic and insane, but they had enough sense of rationality to know when it was time to push and time to draw back. The very fact they were still alive and breathing to this day proved it.

Yukira and Miki chose exactly that moment to enter the kichen for the exactly same reason with the twins, chatting eagerly like any other girls their age. Both of them stopped dead when they saw the quivering Miku on the floor, and Gumi standing right over her body.

"Miku-nee… what did you do this time?" Miki sighed, helping Miku to her feet. Yukira's reaction was quite different from Miki's "What… happened in here?" She asked hesistantly at Gumi, her topaz eyes comparing the footprint on the back of Miku's head and Gumi's sneakers. Had she been here for a week and saw this situation, she would have sighed and helped Miki get Miku to stand up like Miki. Unfortunately for Gumi, she hadn't. Right now Gumi wanted to slam her head in the wall. Yesterday, she cried in the arms of older Hanane. Today, she made the younger Hanane think she was a violent, freakish maniac. Amazing what a single girl can accomplish in less than 27 hours.

The Kagamines decided that the cookies were probably all gone and it would be safe to leave the room, away from annoyed Gumi. They started for the door, trying to be quiet and invisible.

"Gumi-nee… I don't think you should have done this…" Yukira looked away. Why was _she_ ashamed for heaven's sake? It made Gumi want to slam her head on the wall over frustration with herself.

"Don't worry, Yukira-chan. I deserved it." Miku said shamelessly from the floor.

Miki sighed. "I'm pretty sure you did…" She mumbled. Miku giggled and reached out to pinch the redhead's cheek, making her blush.

Yukira still looked unconvinced. "But…" She stole glances between Gumi and Miku, with an innocent, bewilded expression that somehow had the effect of making Gumi ashamed of herself way more effectively than any scolding she had in her entire life. Not even her parents could have this effect on her.

Miku waved a hand. "It's okay, Yukira-chan. I—" She had been trying to get up from the floor when a dark shadow fell over her.

Shira was standing at the doorway.

She was smiling. It was just as bright and warm as the one her sister had been wearing yesterday, wide enough to force her eyes closed. The others stared dazedly. "Hey, girls." Shira's lyrical voice called out. Her skin shone, effect to the bath just taken. Eyebrows and lashes, just as white as her hair, sparkled as they caught the sunlight. Her snowy white hair was like—

Only it wasn't white anymore. It was dyed grass green. The color was strong and dark in the roots, growing paler as it moved to the end, becoming her original white at the very tip.

"Hi!" Rin greeted Shira with a happy smile of her own. "Hi, Shira-nee!" Len followed closely, he had picked up the nickname from Miki, who in turn learned it from Yukira.

"Hey, Rin-chan, Len-kun." Shira directed her voice at the awe-struck Kagamine twins. "Did the two of you put that hair dye in my shampoo?" No other words of formality or anything of the sort. Direct and to the point.

"Yeah, we did!" They replied together, "but we didn't think it would turn out like this!" They beamed at each other.

Now things made sense to Yukira. When Shira bathed her hair she started from her haid with the foam, but washed it away starting from the tip. A habit of hers Yukira was sure she wasn't even aware of.

"Really?" Somehow the smile grew even brighter. The twins were staring like idiots. Her voice was alluring and seductive, though she had spoken only a single word.

Yukira leaned in to Miki's ear as Shira slowly started to walk to the blonde twins. "Miki-chan, I forgot to mention but…" the whitette whispered slowly.

Two meters.

"like anyone else, Shira-nee has a few things you should never mess with"

One meter.

"and one of them is her hair."

Shira opened her eyes. Everyone who had been in that room would testify in a court of law that the moment she did, the temperature went down by thirty degrees celcious. Apparently she was the kind that got colder if they got angry, those rare types who became frosty in their fury. Her icy pale eyes, which had been quite warm so far despite their color, now matched in both areas. They threatened to freeze and shatter any soul that dared to venture in her gaze.

"_A-Ano_, Shira-nee-san?" The twins' smile froze on their faces as slight tremors of terror racked through their body. The really scary part was how the older whitette had kept her smile. The eyes wanted to incase the world eternal winter, the lips wanted to create an Eden. Together, however… together… Simply put, everyone else except the unfortunate twins were very glad they weren't the ones meeting those shards of ice.

Without any other word, Shira spin kicked Rin on the small hollow just below her ear. She immediately completed the turn and kicked her a second time, this time on her temple, while the blonde girl was still in air. She was sent flying straight to the wall before she could make a sound.

Len drew in a deep breath, perhaps to shout for help, only to have it knocked out when Shira punched him in his sternum, moving too fast for Len to catch up.

Rin crashed to the wall, then fell to the floor headfirst. Len's eyes were still turning to his sister when Shira struck his adam's apple with the tip of a handblade formed immediately after the punch. He was left thrashing on the floor, one that didn't last long. Shira grabbed the two twins by their heads and crashed them together before anyone could say a word. Both were instantly knocked out of their senses. Probably a blessing.

Shira was still smiling.

She had still not released the twins, and made motion as if to throw Rin to the wall until a pale hand gripped her wrist.

"That's enough, Shira-nee." Her sister's innocent eyes pleaded, changing its target from Gumi to Shira.

Shira's cold smile dropped the instant Yukira touched her. She examined the twins she held in her hands, then decided she had probably given enough punishment for messing around with her hair. With a sigh, she released her grip, letting the two drop.

Yukira gripped on her sister's upper arms. "Come on, I'll help you get your white hair back." She more or less dragged Shira out, who let herself to be treated so without a word of protest. Yukira gave the others a small, apologetic smile before they were out of sight.

Miki broke out from the trance and began checking the Kagamine twins' pulse. She was their adopted sister, after all. She let out a relieved sigh when she could find both of theirs, and gently tried to make them as comfortable as possible in ther current state, afraid to harm something by trying to wake them forcefully.

Gumi stood exactly the same way she did before the unexpected incident happened, wondering what she had just seen.

_Strange…_

Unless they're really trying to kill or lost their rational though for some reason, people didn't go for other's vital spots like that. There's a nagging voice that asks you what you would do if the annoying guy suffered some really serious damage. Or even died, something that was actually possible. Sure, Shira looked angry, but not to the point she lost her reason.

_She wasn't angry, and there was no battle for her to be caught up in…_

_It took less than two seconds in total…_

_Nor did she want to kill. Not really, anyway…_

_Than that must simply be her usual fighting style, but that's strange. What made her so…_

_Ruthless when she fought?_

There was only one answer: experience. She learned to reply with a 'shut up' to that nagging voice. And the only way to learn that was…

_The hard way,_ she thought.

On the floor, Miku had reached on the same conclusion as her friend, though she appeared to be examining the twins curiously.

It meant lots of desperate fights, ones she had to win regardless of the consequences, ones she might even had to inflict permanent damage for the alternative was to suffer her own. And she must have learned or picked up martial arts here and there from the way she moved. Not surprising if she got into that much fights.

Miku saw Gumi's lips twitch to form a smirk. It seemed that Hanane Shira had steel in her. She rather liked it, she liked it a lot. And it seemed like she could get to like the girl as a friend too, Gumi thought.

_Well… I didn't expect my welcome present to be Megpoid Gumi-chan._ The first sentence spoken to her by Shira rang again in her ears. Gumi somehow managed to simultaneously growl and blush, making Miku wonder of the thoughts behind her eyes.

_Or maybe it'll take some more time… _Gumi thought.

* * *

><p><strong>And thank you for all those who actually left a review! XD this is my debut novel, I never thought I would actually get reviews! I've heard of how they felt, but… wow. It feels seriously nice to be recognized by my work. That's my best shot at putting it to words… and I thought I was supposed to be a writer XP<strong>

TLoZTFH: Heh, don't worry. I'm currently using a five-year old laptop and there's absolutely nothing of value in this thing. Thanks for adding my fic to favorites as well!

IdrewAcow: Thaks for being the first person to include my story to your favorites! XD and your continuing support for me has helped me so much, wish you luck on your own fics!

Yuuki Yami: Ah... you were the first person to leave me with a review, you know... thank you... thank you. I never expected one at all... thank you. Just... thank you. Thank you so much.

**Well, that's it for now,but I hope that one day I'd be replying to twenty or thirty reviewers per chapter. Or is that too much to hope for...?**  
><strong>Nah, we can all hope as much as we want to, it's one of the preciously few things we can have without limit. XD<strong>  
><strong>Bye! I'll try to upload Chapter 3 as soon as I can!<strong>

**-Iluvian Melody**


	3. Juvenile

***sigh* I expected to be able to upload sooner, but the revising took forever... I swear I re-wrote this one instead of revising it. Ugh... *pats himself on the head***

**I'm sorry for uploading then removing this chapter. But I had to set a few things before I should have uploaded, and since I had not gotten reviews yet... I'm still sorry ^^;;**

**I finally got the long-delayed permission with this fic from Seishun! She's been too kind... *sniff* I wish I had asked for it earlier... it had been bothering me for months *sighs again***

**On a happier note, Many thanks to IdrewAcow for agreeing to be my beta-reader! XD Your continued support means so much for me, my friend *^^***  
><strong>This chapter is the longest chapter I've writ yet! Enjoy! =v=<strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Juvenile<p>

"_Ano_… why are we having the sleepover in my room?"

They were all standing in front of the door to Yukira's room, with the owner of the room standing with her back to it and the others standing around in a semicircle that faced her. The under aged Vocaloids had an out-of-the-moment decision to have a sleepover to greet the newest girl to their household, to which she had accepted shyly.

But none of them told her it would be held in her room.

"Because no one's ever got to see yours yet!" Rin shouted eagerly, before pressing a hand to the side of her head as a wave of pain swept over her, starting from two certain points.

"Are you alright, Rin-chan?" Miki asked hurriedly.

"Yeah… but loud noise still makes my head ache… should've known better than to shout…" Rin groaned. "Yukira-san, Shiraki-san can really kick. Did you know that?" She squinted at the white haired girl.

_Cough,_

"She can punch too…" Len whispered from Rin's right.

Yukira put her hands over her mouth. "I'm sorry…" She said in a small voice, not meeting Rin's eyes.

Rin sighed at the ground. "You're not the one who did it. I heard you stopped her from doing any more damage." Rin looked upwards at Yukira. Despite the topaz eyed girl's petite-ness, Rin still reached only up to her cheekbone. "Guess I should say thanks…" she mumbled, looking off to the side.

Yukira smiled and reached out to stroke Rin's cheek once, making the blonde blush at the unexpected gesture. "It's all right, Rin-chan. I don't really deserve it. And call me Yukira-nee, please."

Rin's blush got heavier. "All right… Yukira-nee." Yukira smiled warmly and turned to Len. "You too, Len-chan."

Len smiled, though only slightly because of his pains. "Thanks, Yukira-nee— Len… LEN-CHAN?" He face-palmed, then began to cough madly. "Len-chan! Are you all right?" Miki's ahoge bobbed as she lowered herself to pat Len's back.

"Yeah, I-I'm— WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?" Len stared with desperation at the person he trusted most in the world. Oh, he loved Rin, but could he trust her? No.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Len-chan!" Miki exclaimed, "The name sounded so natural it stuck in my mind!"

The look on Len's face was one of horror.

"Don't worry, Len-chan! I'll never use the '-chan' if you don't want to! Are you 'kay, Len-chan? You look sorta sick, Len-chan." Miku said looking straight into Len's blue eyes. He didn't know if Miku was joking or not; and he didn't know which was worse. Off to her side, Gumi snickered, her bright green eyes glinting sadistically.

_I'm doomed..._ Len managed the barest imitation of a smile. "Ye-yeah. Thanks, Miku-nee." His voice trembled more than it did a minute ago.

_Well, at least I think Yukira-nee will be a good onee-san_. Miki was their claimed sister already. But two older sisters were better than one, he supposed.

"_Ano,_ I'm sorry, Len-cha—kun. I shouldn't have started it in first place…" Yukira looked at Len with a genuine apology on her features as if to confirm Len's thoughts.

Len sighed, "It's alright, Yukira-nee. I can stand it. I've had worse." from Rin, he added in his head.

"Aw… you're a sweet kid, Len-chan." Yukira hugged Len to her chest. Len's blush deepened until he looked like he was ready to join tomatoes in the fruit and vegetable section at the market. "Me too! I want a hug too!" Rin pouted and threw herself in the whitette's arms.

"They're so cute…" Miki wiped her eyes. "Now they have other family than me."

"Yes," Miku blew her nose, "poor kids. Yukira-chan would be another caring onee-chan for them."

_Exactly when did the drama start?_ Gumi wondered as she watched the five of them with growing exasperation and a good deal of frustration. "Hey, what happened to the sleepover?"

"Do you HAVE to disturb the moment, Gumi-chan? They're so happy!" Miku exclaimed. Miki had joined the hug and now the four of them were holding onto each other tightly, rocking back and forth. "From now on, Yukira-nee is our onee-san too!" Rin stated from the group, cheers sounded from the others.

"Aw… they look so warm like that… Gumi-chaaan~ I need a hug too!" Miku wiped her eyes and approached Gumi with a complete 'hug me' set: arms outstretched, lips puckered and begging for a kiss, a puppy-dog look on her face. Thousands would have paid with their life to have Miku look at them like that.

Gumi punched Miku in her face. The tealette's "Ow!" was large enough to break the new family's mood.

"…so, why don't we go in?" Gumi growled, color creeping up her cheeks. "Can I ask a question?" Yukira piqued nervously. Gumi clenched her teeth. "What?"

"Hey! Don't speak to our onee-chan like that!" The blond twins stood in stood of Yukira protectively, glaring at the greenette who met their glares with her own.

"_Ne, ne,_ Gumi-chan!" Miku protested from the ground for the second time this day. "Don't intimidate her like that!" _You've already done it enough._ Gumi knew her enough to know the words that hadn't been said.

Gumi took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. A vein throbbed near her temple.

Inhale. Exhale. "All right. What?"

"…why are we having this sleepover in my room?" Yukira inquired timidly.

"Because no one's got to see yours yet, Yukira-chan!" Miku sing-sang, getting up with a hand pressed to her nose.

"Couldn't you have warned me at least? I haven't cleaned it or anything!" Yukira met her eyes with each of the five standing in front of her, each with a futon, pillow, and in their favorite sleepwear. They all exchanged glances with each other.

"No." The five intruders said as one. "We wanna see what kind of person you are too." Miku added as an afterthought.

Yukira sighed inwardly, it didn't seem like they were leaving, so why not invite them in? She didn't feel like being dragged into her own room the second day she got to sleep in it… or the first, to be technical. She turned and opened the door. "Come on in, then."

Yukira's favorite colors were deep yellow and white, it seemed. A large mahogany bed with golden covers stood on the far corner of the room just below the windows. The windows themselves were quite large. With slight curtains draped over, it would be quite sunny in the mornings for they faced east. Gumi scowled at the thought. A desk littered with various colored pens was on another side. She had quite a few bookshelves filled with her favorite novels, textbooks, and her favorite DVDs of movies and animes. A 42-inch screen TV was attached to the wall where she could watch it in comfort. Other furniture was cluttered around here and there. It was rather messy, but just common, humane messy. The floor was carpeted in a shade of deep yellow that matched her eyes. A bright, sunny type of room for sure; but now the night was draped outside the windows.

"Hey, nice room." Rin commented as she pushed away various objects to make room for the futons. "Yeah, not bad." Len added, spreading his futon. "Yellow's nice."

The owner of the room wondered when she had given up her claim on the ownership of the place when they immediately began exploring without asking for her permission. Luckily, she had almost nothing to really hide from their various-shaded eyes. And the few things private to her were more or less hidden, where the others didn't manage to find. Or maybe purposefully ignored, as she thought later.

* * *

><p>"So, Yukira-chan, why don't you tell us about yourself?"<p>

"Huh? W-Why?" The six of them were seated in a circle, on the mess of futons spread around and each in their respective sleepwear.

The Kagamines wore matching pajamas: yellow button up shirt and matching pants. Gumi wore a large black hoodie and comfortable white pants that came to her knees. Miku's were white shirt a size too big for her and comfortable training shorts. Miki was wearing short pants and red T-shirt that fell past her hips, almost covering the pants. Yukira had changed into a sleeveless cotton thigh-length one-piece with shoulder straps in her new closet. Miku tried to come in after her, and got her head slammed into the wall by Gumi.

"But we're both girls!" Miku wailed as she got dragged back. "Yes, but you're so not going to watch her undress." Gumi growled at her friend, holding her by the back of her collar. And she looked so innocent in that white dress. She could pass for a kid like that, a bit tall (155cm, when she had last checked with disappointment. She wanted to be tall like her sister, who was an even 167cm) but she was looking so…

Innocent. That was definitely the adjective that was going to follow her the most.

"Because we want to know more about you!" Miku sang, "We only met you yesterday, you know!"

"But… that's kinda vague, Miku-nee…'myself' is a bit wide topic." Yukira mumbled, frantically searching for a way to turn the conversation to other directions.

Miki spoke up from Yukira's right, "How about this? We each ask her a question about herself, taking turns. I'll go first since I suggested it." A chorus of 'agreed' rang out to the desperation of the unwilling host. The whitette tried to draw her knees up to wrap her hands around herself, but lowered it again in a hurry to previous kneeling style when she remembered the clothes she was wearing.

"So Yukira-nee-chan likes yellow and white striped panties?" Len asked in a tone that suggested that he was a being conceived of innocence. The questionee hid her face behind her hands. "Quiet… Len-chan…" Yukira mumbled, the tips of her ear burning furiously.

"Are we going to get anywhere like this?" Gumi sighed in exasperation. "I thought Miki-chan was supposed to start?" Honestly, she thought Miki had come up with a brilliant idea.

Miki's heart fluttered for a moment when she heard Gumi call her 'Miki-chan'. She managed to stop a blush from spreading on her face, but couldn't stop her eyes from going to the green girl's features.

_She was so beautiful…_

Miki jerked herself out from her thoughts with a cough, then focused on the task at hand. She was the first, so she should probably make it easy for Yukira-chan to answer. Hmm, maybe going first wasn't a good choice, after all.

"Tell us of your life before you joined us."

Yukira's brow furrowed as she formed her words into a sentence. "I was born in England, but moved here about a month later. I've still got dual nationality. I grew up with my parents and Shira-nee until my parents died in a car accident." She sighed. "I don't remember the accident itself, one moment I was in the back of the car with Shira-nee, the next I was in a different home with Shira-nee over me. Later I learned that she took money: insurances, heritage… enough for us to sustain us until we graduated college and got a job. Since then it was the two of us ever since."

She paused to take a breath, memories passing behind her topaz eyes. "Shira-nee took care of me. She took care of our general living too. I made her let me help with some household chores as soon as I could. But I know the divide was way less than fifty-fifty though I always insisted on it. And she always managed to get the top grades; I don't know how, she just did." Yukira looked up at the ceiling.

"Then a month before the last she applied to become a Vocaloid. Later, I heard from her that she had meant to join, and still live in her apartment with me like... like Nekomura does. But then, I didn't know. And I was afraid she would leave me. She never told me about it, I only found out when I found a pamphlet in her jean pocket. I guess she was afraid I'd stop her… and I almost did." Yukira cut off to take a deep breath, too ashamed to continue.

"I couldn't sleep for three days, too worried. She noticed of course, and asked me what was wrong. I said I couldn't tell her. She didn't pursue me any further, but I knew she was concerned about me."

"And I thought... I thought..." The girl seemed to meet eyes with every other pairs at once, a stare the others nearly drew away from. "I could apply too." She breathed. Her glazed eyes told them how much she must have tortured herself with her decision. They had no way of knowing the exact amount of sleep she had lost over it. But they could still guess.

They could guess.

Had she got picked instead of Shira, then she would be able to keep her onee-san to herself. But to what end? The girl would have made her sister give up her dream and snatched it. And even if she did, she would have to give it up pretty soon if she wanted to keep living with her sister, as was her wish. It was a desperate plan, one that could go wrong a thousand ways, and still come out with a sad ending in the end.

"My hope... was that we would both be chosen. It's unrealistic… but hopes usually aren't, are they?" She said, "I've never been able to forgive myself for taking that path." She bit her lower lip. The others sat silent, not knowing what to say.

"But your hope came true." Miki said gently from Yukira's side, trying to comfort the distressed girl.

"Yes, it did. But what if it hadn't?" She breathed.

"I don't think Shira-nee would have been angry with you." Miki took her hand and squeezed it for support. "Not even if the worst happened." She said gently.

"I know. And it makes me only feel worse." Yukira sighed again, but returned Miki's grip. "I only told her on the morning of the audition. She probably knew everything, including what I wanted and might happen... and the only thing she did was to kiss me and wish me luck." A sad gaze from the topaz eyes. "That's the part that makes me the guiltiest..."

"We both passed the first, the second, and the last…" Yukira shrugged. "From here you know it just as well as I do."

"Ah, yes, the audition." Miku smiled, remembering seeing the two of them for the first time a month ago. "The two of you were so good we had to make the two of you do a duet; we couldn't choose, and our agencies told us that we were only supposed to take in one."

The tealette giggled. "They should've known better than to trust us. Anyway, your duet song was amazing. It was Happy Synthesizer, right?" Yukira nodded in agreement.

"And you wrote it yourself." Miku asked to confirm what she had been told. The only whitette in the room nodded again.

"Wow." Gumi said in an awed voice. "You can compose?"

Yukira fidgeted nervously. This was feeling more and more like an interrogation by the passing second... and didn't someone say only one question per person...? She thought frantically. She wasn't surprised, though... "It's my hobby… or something more or less like that."

"So you composed other songs?" Miki asked curiously. The white haired girl had told them they were going to sing her own work just before the song started. And oh, yes. The song was unbelievable. Composing was a difficult art, and few non-professionals could do it. It was completely unrelated to the singer's talent, as some mistook. Composing and singing was different. Period. There was no reason for them to be related. People usually had to study for years to master it, the same way they had to study years to master a particular instrument or singing.

Unless they were gifted with the talent, that is.

Yukira mumbled something that vaguely resembled a 'yes'. _I wish Shira-nee was here..._

"That's good, I guess." Gumi said, twirling a lock of emerald hair with her finger. "You _need_ songs— what is it, Miki-chan?"

The redhead had raised her hand just like a girl in school to get the attention of her teacher. "Why isn't Shira-nee-san here with us?" She asked curiously.

A heavy silence met the question. Three of the members gulped, as another member sighed discreetly in relief.

"I'll go get her! She's right across, right?" Miku asked Yukira before anyone else could say a word. "Okay! Come on, Gumi-chan!" She grabbed Gumi's hand and forcibly dragged her out without waiting for an answer, earning a shocked glance from the whitette. The others remained unimpressed, having seen it too much for that. The Kagamine twins exchanged a worried glance with each other.

In the hall, Gumi crashed into the back of Miku's back when she stopped abruptly. Sudden pain flared up her nose from the not-so-gentle contact with the tealette's shoulder. "_Baka!_ Why did you—"

Miku put an index finger to Gumi's lips. "_Shhh_, Gumi-chan." Miku whispered, closing the door behind them softly. "I want to give Shira-chan a surprise." She winked at her friend.

Gumi huffed and crossed her arms. Dammit, her nose hurt. And she had zero intention of getting out of the room at all to fetch the girl she was still uncomfortable with. Hell, she didn't want anyone to fetch her at all, for heaven's sake. "Let me guess: you want to storm in without knocking and with luck, catch her undressed." She growled, crossing her arms over her breasts.

Miku gasped in shock. "Gumi-chan… how did you…"

Gumi's bright green locks shook as she slowly shook her head back and forth. "I've been your best friend ever since we first saw each other, Miku. You think I wouldn't know what to expect?" Gumi sighed in exasperation at the floor. "Though I wish I would expect something else..." She mumbled, and looked up to meet Miku's teal eyes. "You're being stupid. Do you think that's a good way to start a relationship? This is gonna be the first time the two of you talked to each other directly, right?"

Miku very pointedly looked away, humming a tune that would one day be a record breaking hit by the name of Melt.

"Besides," Gumi continued, "what makes you think she'd be undressed? You expect her to be in black, lacy bras and panties lying on the bed, waiting for us?"

Miku giggled, "No way to know unless we see it ourselves!"

Immediately, literally 'immediately', for she didn't think anything else happened in between, Gumi found herself being dragged into Shira's room by at a velocity of roughly 100km/h by her wrist. "YOU STUPID—" Gumi started to scream.

And had it cut off from shock.

Hanane Shiraki was lying on the bed in black, lacy bra and panties, sipping on a glass of ruby wine with one hand folded behind her back. All three girls froze on the spot.

Did someone hit a pause button somewhere? It felt like someone just did.

"Wow, Shira-chan." Miku whispered, grinning broadly. The tealette held up her thumb, her other hand going to her face to stop the abrupt trickle of blood. "Those look great on you with the white hair in contrast. I did think you looked rather mature, but… wow." Miku breathed. "Exactly how large are your breasts anyway?" She demanded eagerly, her eyes sparkling.

* * *

><p>Miki was lost. In a world far more glorious and subtle, arcane and mysterious, lyrical and clear than this. Her hold on the papers she held became as firm as she could without damaging it, afraid it would fly out of her grasp and disappear forever.<p>

Satellite,

the title claimed proudly, almost arrogantly, in ruby red ink that matched her own color.

"Yukira-chan… y-you're giving this to me?" She breathed; her eyes scanned the notes with disbelieving delight, playing them in her head, hearing the music without the instruments.

"It was meant for you. Take it, and give it life." Yukira said simply, but somehow she sounded... different. Puzzled, Miki looked up from the paper, and saw that Yukira had new fire burning in her eyes, eyes that were now as resolute as the sea.

_So composing affected the same way singing did?_

But right now that didn't matter. What did was that she had just presented her with a song, and it was one of the most beautiful one Furukawa Miki ever saw in her life as a Vocaloid.

"Yu-Yukira-chan!" Miki screamed with delight before throwing herself in the white girl's arms, rubbing her face against the crook of her pale neck. Yukira stumbled back a step at the unexpected gesture.

"_Arigato!_ Oh, thank you, thank you so much, Yukira-chan! I'll make this into a great song! I promise—!"

"...get out, Hatsune."

"You dare get wine in my twintail?"

"I don't care of your hair, you sick pervert. Get out of my room."

A muffled voice of Gumi's.

"Quiet. Just leave. Before I lose control."

"You might lose far more than that if you do."

"A threat? They should not be made unless they're to be kept. And be careful, _I_ might make a threat, one I'll keep."

Another sound of Gumi's, this time she was yelling. Somehow, the teal and the white girl's voice managed to carry many, many times farther than Gumi's thought they were whispering, striking icy fear into hearts. A few more subtle, silent words were exchanged before Miku walked in with Gumi behind her.

They noticed both girls had red wine dripping from their hair.

The teal girl took her seat, the green followed her example. A stifling silence followed, held for a few minutes no one dared to break. They could almost feel the icy coldness rolling from Miku by waves. The temperature felt like it had dropped twenty degrees.

"What's your favorite food, Yukira-nee?" Len asked with faked cheery grin, trying to break the atmosphere. "Um," the white girl startled, then understood his actions. "Strawberry! I love—"

Two soft knocks came from the door. "Hey, Yura-chan, are in there?" Shira's gentle voice came from outside, a voice she reserved for Yukira only, it seemed.

Miku gave one glance to the girl the voice had been directed too. _Make her go away,_ her teal eyes said, carrying coldness Yukira has only seen in one person so far, and never directed to her before. _Now_ she finally understood why people quailed under that gaze.

Yukira swallowed visibly. "Sh-Shira-nee, I—"

"I made your favorite, strawberry cheese cake."

The whitette teleported to the door. That was the most reasonable explanation for her speed. "_Arigato,_ Shira-nee!" she gave Shira her full million-watt innocence smile, taking the cake from her sister's right hand. The long haired girl's left one held a bottle of wine and a worn sommelier knife. She had put on a simple white yukata over herself between the few minutes that passed.

Shira smiled warmly in return. "Nah, I just—" Her eyes swept over the room. They narrowed when they passed over Miku.

"Want a drink?" She offered coldly to no one in particular, but kept her icy gaze on the tealette.

"Sorry, but we're all underage, Shira-chan." Miku smiled at the girl. "Besides, I don't want something you've been drinking from." She said without a single falter of her smile.

Now even Gumi looked uneasy. "You know... Miku…" She said hesitantly.

"Ah, is that so? Then I'm sorry. What did I expect from the girl who sang a song like World Is Mine?" Shira said, smiling as well. "Should've expected less than I did." The cork was popped from the bottle in one fluent motion that made the others blink. The older Hanane poured a glass for herself, then drained it in one long swallow.

"Says the girl that doesn't even have a song yet." Miku sing-sang. "You're not even worth to be called a Vocaloid."

Shira smiled at her words. "How unfair of the world to make you the most popular of us all. Anyone can do a better job of being the brightest star." The dark green bottle tipped toward her glass once more. They almost expected ice cubes to come down. There was no way liquid could stay as liquid in this state.

A small hand reached out behind Shira's back and took the empty crystal glass. "Shira-nee… can you make up with Miku-nee…?" She asked, her yellow eyes teary. Shira evaded her cold eyes from her imouto-chan's face.

"Please…?" She looked at Miku as she mouthed her words, turquoise meeting topaz. She sniffed once before looking away.

Shira seemed to consider for a moment, her eyes as pale as ever. "I'll apologize for getting wine in your hair. You apologize for trying to catch me naked." She said sharply.

"Deal." Miku stood up and put out her hand. She gave Shira the same smile as a second ago: colder than a middle of blizzard, and hiding as much as it showed. "I'm sorry I tried to catch you undressed." Her tone was sincere, too sincere. Her eyes revealed nothing that passed behind them.

Shira smiled just as coldly and grasped Miku's outstretched hand. Tight. "Your apology is accepted. And I beg your pardon for messing with your hair." Her words were formal, too formal. Her aquamarine eyes were paler than shards of ice.

Miku continued to smile. "And yours." Shira's smile remained indifferent to Miku's comment, Miku's as well.

Sudden chills racked through Miki's body. _I_ _never knew smiles could be so scary._ She thought, suppressing a shudder.

The silence stretched out for a few seconds, yet another silence no one dared to break. The two of them continued to meet each other's eyes with equal cold frost blazing inside their deep abyss.

A corner of Shira's lips twitched.

Suddenly, both of them broke out in fits of uncontrollable laughter. Tears streamed down Shira's face as she howled at the ceiling. Miku clutched her stomach, giggling madly. The others exchanged uncertain glances with each other, seeing the two girls fall to their knees as their legs would no longer support themselves. The tealette rolled on the floor, the palest-eyed girl fell on her rear and put out her hands to steady herself, then even her arms failed her and she fell flat on her back, still laughing insanely. Miku was in the same state right in front of her. Their laughter was undisrupted, indifferent to the other singers' 'are-they-really-sane?' stares.

After they calmed down somewhat, both girls finally managed to stand up on unsteady feet. Miku put a hand to her mouth to stifle erratic bursts of giggles that still rocked her frame. "Friends?" She stretched out her left hand to Shira.

"Friends." Shira managed to answer between choked breaths. Still laughing, Miku put away her hand and spread her arms. Shira took a step to close the distance, then wrapped her slender arms firmly around Miku's smaller body, a gesture Miku returned just as warmly.

"Friends." They said together, their different voices striking a beautiful chord. Icy blue met teal as they newly categorized each other under the term. The two girls remained in the position for another moment, then drew away with shocking tenderness so much different from the iciness they had looked at each other just moments before.

The others swore they could feel the temperature rising in the room.

"And now it's your turn, Gumi-chan!" Miku said as she withdrew from Shira. Her long teal hair ruffled as she quickly dried it with a towel she somehow found from a corner of a room.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Gumi held up her hands in protest. "I'm so not hugging you like that leek-eating pervert."

"Shame." Shira dropped her arms in disappointment. "Can we shake hands, then?" She raised her left hand to wrist level.

Gumi crossed her arms and glowered.

"Please, Gumi-chan?" Shira pleaded. "I want to be friends with you." Her pale eyes confirmed their sincerity. Gumi muttered something under her breath the others failed to catch, then: "I want you to apologize for yesterday too."

"The saving you from falling part?" The white girl raised her eyebrows. "No." Gumi snapped. "The 'I didn't expect my welcome present to be Megpoid Gumi-chan' part." She snarled at the girl.

_Oh,_ Shira thought in her head. So that's why she had been angry with her? "I'm sorry I treated you like an object yesterday, and for getting wine in your hair just ago." Shira said solemnly. "Would you forgive me?"

Megpoid Gumi still chose to glower for a few more seconds, then—

"Fine." Gumi snapped. "I'm sorry I stormed in your room without permission." Gumi muttered and took Shira's hand in her own.

Shira smiled warmly, one that fit her better than her cold one, and shook Gumi's hand. She spread her arms after releasing her hold, "Still don't want a hug?" She offered playfully. "No." Gumi huffed, re-crossing her arms. "Shame…" Shira sighed with a grin. Gumi glowered and turned her eyes away.

Behind Gumi's back, Shira and Miku exchanged a wink.

* * *

><p>"You know, Shira-nee-san…" Len asked slowly. "That's the fifth bottle already, aren't you gonna get drunk like that?"<p>

Shira smiled, her pale eyes successfully turning it into a light smirk. "I never drink until I get drunk, Len-chan. It's ugly, losing control of your own body like that. So no, I'm not going to get drunk."

"That's not what I exactly meant, nee-san." Len muttered under his breath. But he had to admit Shira looked perfectly fine to his own eyes. She looked exactly the same way she had this morning. Somehow, the alcohol seemed to have no effect on her at all. "You're not related to Meiko-senpai, are you?"

"Hmm? Nope. Not even as distant relatives the last time I checked the family tree. Why do you ask?"

"Well, as far as I know only Meiko-nee can down five bottles of wine in one seat and not get drunk."

Shira's eyes gleamed. "Is that so? Maybe I'll go out drinking with her one day." Gumi snorted. "She's intoxicated half the time you see her. It'd be pretty hard asking her out." She swirled her glass to examine the wine's tears, one of the scarce knowledge's she had on enology. Huh, not heavy. This was actually very nice… she made sure to remember the name for future reference. Shira had suggested both Miku and herself a different glass of wine, and they accepted, albeit a bit uncertainly. They _were_ underage, after all. And it would be the first time they drank anything with alcohol. But this... what was the name again?

_Beringer, White Zinfandel. _Yes, that was how she called it. Miku's was something else... something German which the white girl had said the name in perfect pronunciation, making the others stare blankly. Too sweet for her taste, but Miku literally lapped it up.

"Oh, come on, Gumi-nee, that's an exaggeration. But not much, really…" Miki's red ahoge bobbed as she lowered her head to consider it. She pretty soon decided that Gumi had been correct.

"Yup! Not much. Can I have a glass of wine too, Shira-nee?"

"Well, there's this _Villa M 2007_ I've acquired three days ago. You like sweets, right? Then you'll love the fruity aroma and—"

"Nee-san… I don't think you should encourage fourteen-year olds to drink wine..."

"Sorry, Rin-chan. Maybe another time."

"Yukira-nee! I really wanted to try that!"

"Miku-chan, want another?"

"Sure! Cheers~!" "Cheers."

_Clink,_

"Hey! Don't ignore me like just like that!"

"Nee-san! Don't steal the bottle!" "Len-chan! Stop restricting me from stealing the bottle!"

"Girls... why don't we just continue the game already?" Gumi managed to silence the others immediately with her remainder.

Len scowled darkly. Gumi had forgotten that he was a boy.

Shira blinked, her palest blue eyes hiding for just one fleeting moment. "What game?"

Yukira sighed for what felt like the millionth time this night alone. "A game of them asking me about myself. One question per person. Only Miki-chan got her turn now."

"Cool, I'll join." _How the _hell_ did you manage to get yourself in this…?_ Shiraki wondered from the bottom of her heart, groaning for her imouto-chan's sake.

"I knew you would say that." Yukira pouted. "Do you really have to? It will be embarrassing enough from the way others are smiling."

The said 'others' suddenly refused to meet Yukira's eyes. But their smiles—or downright grins—were still in full force.

"Of course I do!" Shira exclaimed. "This is a chance to ask about things too personal and embarrassing to Yura-chan for a good older sister to ask normally! I'd pay with half my wine for this!"

The younger sister sighed again, this time more despairingly than before. "Fine, let's get this over with. Clockwise in this formation, starting with Gumi-nee." The white haired girl sounded like a man arranging for his own funeral.

Gumi paused for a moment, then said in a firm voice. "I want my question to go to Shira."

"Shoot, but you don't get to ask Yura-chan in that case."

"I'll take it." The greenette replied without a second's consideration. "Why did you get in so many fights?"

Shira smirked, and swirled the drink held in the glass in her hand once. "So you figured it out." She said, and took a sip from her glass.

Gumi kept her eyes on the white girl's own. It might have been something she shouldn't have asked, but she did already. Might as well get it over with.

Shira drained her glass again, but chose to put it beside her instead of refilling it. "I've reached my limit. Another one would push me past my senses." Now the others looked confused. She appeared to be perfectly in control of herself. But Yukira knew better than to ask. Her sister knew perfectly on dancing on the narrow gap between intoxication and reason.

Shira flopped down on her elbows and stretched her legs behind her, her way long hair flowing with her body. She propped up her chin in both hands before answering Gumi. "'Cause I like girls instead of boys. Yura-chan, pass me that hairband; my hair's getting in my eyes." She pointed to a cat-eared one on the floor quite close to her sister, the kind one got at an amusement park as a souvenir, then to forget all about next day, wondering where it had came from and why they bought it. Yukira handed it to Shira, who drew up her right hand to put it on.

Gumi frowned slightly. "You say that like that's the most obvious—"

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! Shiraki-nee-san! _Kawaaaiiiiii_—_!_" Miki let out a high pitched squeal of delight. "You look adorable!"

"Miki-chan loves anything with '-mimi' attached on the back." Gumi commented nonchalantly, as if they were discussing today's weather.

"Mm-hmm! She does enjoy people in animal costumes." Miku giggled, giving evil sidelong glances at the redhead.

"W-what? I-I-I'm not like that!" Miki stammered, holding out her hands in bewilderment. "I-It's just that the b-black g-g-goes so well with your white hair a-and—"

"But Miki-nee, you love it when Gumi-nee wears that panda hoodie." Len cut in, smiling sinisterly. Just because Miki was their claimed sister it didn't mean she wasn't fun to tease.

Gumi choked over a sip of the pink sparkling wine that was just starting to pass her throat. "Wait, _cough_— so that was why you'd always _cough_— bring me that _cough_— particular hoodie whenever I needed clothes from my room?" Gumi demanded at the insanely blushing girl.

"I-I-I I-it's n-n-n-nothing l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-like t-t-th—"

"Well, you got her that one just yesterday too…" Shira said from the side, thumping Gumi on her back to help her remove the liquid from her windpipe.

"And you _love_ it when Iroha-nee is around!" Rin nodded, smiling exactly like her twin to almost to the point of creepiness.

"N-no! Th-that is j-j-j-just, I-I mean…"

"Miki-chan, you're turning in different shades of red. Is that healthy?" The world-famous tealette asked with genuine curiosity.

"C'mon, that's an understatement. She goes nearly crazy with delight." "Sorry, my bad." The twins continued indifferently, meeting each other's eyes to confirm if they had that same mischievous twinkle. They needn't, really. They already knew each other almost more than themselves. But seeing it and knowing you looked exactly the same felt nice.

Len put a finger to the side of his face in a fake-looking 'let's-see...' expression. "And she had a nosebleed when she saw Luka-nee in that neko-mimi maid costume."

"Count that one out; everyone had a nosebleed at that, including the female reporter." "Oh, yeah."

"But she was the only one that fainted from loss of blood." "Miku-nee and Lily-nee only got very pale."

Rin mimicked Len's gesture with reversed hand, making it look as if they were mirror images of each other. "Very, very pale. But they definitely didn't need blood transitions." She commented, looking upwards in a quite serene and detached expression. She could have been wondering about a great philosophical problem.

Miki wondered why the ground wouldn't open and swallow her up. She was currently praying quite strongly for it to happen.

"Miki-chan." A silky voice whispered in front of her. Curious, Miki peeked out between her hands—

to find herself looking directly into two brilliantly pale blue eyes.

Apparently, Shira had scooted over when Miki was being tortured by her two younger siblings. She was on her threes, her hip and spine curved to their max. One hand was held up to her chin like a cat's paw. She fixed the headband so that only the cat ears would poke out from her hair, making it seem even more realistic even as her hair had been arranged to cover her natural ears somehow. Moreover, she was only a hands breath away from her. Miki tried—and failed—to ignore the way she could see Shira's breasts and black bra through the low neckline of her white yukata just too well from this angle.

The red girl was frozen completely, this was too much...

"Nya~?"

_Wink,_

Two high-pressured jets of blood erupted from Miki's nose; and in that moment the redhead knew the image would be inscribed on her brain forever. Her logic circuits were on the verge of overloading.

Yukira wordlessly grabbed a box of tissues from her desk and pressed a handful to Miki's nose for her. The redhead simply let the blood fall on her clothes; she couldn't move a muscle even if she tried. "Here, Miki-chan. Breathe deep, then exhale. Repeat until you calm down. And"—she turned to glare at Shira—"don't let out another 'nya'. That will knock her out for sure. And stop looking like a cat!" Yukira's face colored as Shira started to kneel and put both 'paws' to her face. Her tongue slipped out just half an inch before her imouto-chan stopped her.

"Hey, you're no fun, Yura-chan." Shira grumbled but sat down properly, removing her headband.

"Fun? I'm sorry, but I don't think watching my sister showing off how sexy she is in front of our housemates is not FUN!" Yukira thundered, her eyes changing ever so slightly.

"Aw… then why are you blushing?"

Yukira opened her mouth to make a nice, smart comeback. Something that would make her sister sincerely ashamed of her actions and apologize to Miki-chan for her aberrant and unexpected behavior that might have ruined the sleepover.

She snapped it shut after a second's silence. She suddenly focused deeply on the task at hand, her face color deepening to Miki's level.

Shira smirked but chose to hold her silence. Miki's eyes fluttered and focused again as the flow of blood slowed. "Ah…" Miki let out a sigh, "Thanks, Yukira-chan." She smiled gratefully at the whitette. Yukira took another handful of tissues from the box. "Hold it to your nose till it stops completely." Miki nodded feebly.

"So Miki-chan liked girls? I didn't really expect her to. More like Gumi-chan." The cause of the problem looked curiously at Miki. The redhead stared at the floor and silently let Yukira wipe blood from her person.

Gumi pulled down the hood of her hoodie until it covered her red face. "I'm straight." She growled at the older whitette, flushing at the ridiculous accusation. "So don't even think about hitting on me, or I swear you'll have hard time keeping your hair as it is."

Shira sighed and rolled over. "Shame... so who else likes girls in here?" She sounded like this was the most natural question to ask to the people she had met yesterday.

Miku raised her hands proudly. "Me!"

"Sorry, Miku-chan. You're cute, but not really my style." Miku pouted in disappointment. "Anyone else in the mansion? No?" The white girl sighed again. "Damn, that means I'd have to find it out myself... and people could be so stubborn."

"You forgot that stupid cat, you know." Gumi said under her hoodie.

"Oh, Iroha likes girls. I know that." Shira waved a hand in dismissal. "And since that one's over, I guess it's Len-chan's turn—"

"No." The greenette cut off her words, looking out from her hoodie. "You still haven't answered my question." Gumi demanded with a glare. Sort of, but not all. She knew there was still something left. Something she hadn't told yet.

Shira smiled ruefully. "Dammit, I thought I was gonna evade that one with the stunt just now. You're quite sharp, Gumi-chan." The older Hanami sighed. "Guess you won't let me go until I do, right?"

_That was just to evade Gumi-nee's question?_ Miki face faulted.

Gumi inclined her head slightly. Shira sighed. "That was just part one, part two's 'cause I never hid myself. Never. Not since my earliest years. Our parents thought it was a passing stage until I told them I was serious."

"And now it's my turn at last!" Len yelled eagerly, his blue eyes sparkling again.

She turned to the blonde boy with a light smile that could have meant either exasperation or contempt. "What're you gonna ask?"

Len replied immediately. "Do you have any girlfriends?"

"No, I decided to cut off most of my relationships before I came here." Shira's pale eyes took a slightly melancholy quality. "Things would have been too different. Most of them would have started seeing the Vocaloid instead of Hanane Shiraki. I didn't want that to happen. Luckily, I had no lover when I had to do it."

"Aw…" Len looked disappointed, before his eyes brightened immediately, "does that mean you're free?"

"Naturally."

"So, do you have feelings for any of the girls here?" "Good one, Len-chan!" Rin patted Len on his head. Len shivered in pleasure.

All eyes were turned toward Shira, waiting for her answer. Miku swallowed ever so slightly, slight enough for no one but Gumi to notice.

The whitette smiled. "I'm not answering that."

"But—!" Len protested.

"Miku-chan, would you fill my glass? I think I'm recovered enough for another. Thanks." Shira took another sip of the clear honey liquid. "However I answer you'll probably twist it to your advantage. And something like that could be used as a serious weakness. So no, I'm not answering. You've had your turn, anyway."

Len dropped his head in defeat. "All right." He sounded genuinely disappointed. It _was_ a good question, dammit.

Then the blonde boy remembered that the next one was...

"So it's finally my turn!" Rin crowed gleefully, rubbing her hands in anticipation with her own blue eyes gleaming.

Len met eyes with his twin. _Make this good enough for two of us, sis. _

_I will, Len-chan. Don't you worry. _

_Don't call me Len-chan!_

_Oh, just shut up Len-chan._

"You know, Shira-nee, I noticed something." The blonde girl stared pointedly at Shira, completely ignoring Len's glare. "You've been—"

"Ah! I didn't notice the slight aftertaste of tangerine only until now! How dull of me."

Shira realized Rin was glaring at her. "Oh, sorry." She waved a hand at Rin. "Continue."

Rin humphed. "You've been avoiding—"

"Miki-chan's nosebleed has stopped!" Yukira yelled happily.

"WILL YOU GIRLS PLEASE LET ME FINISH!" Rin roared at the others in random, and immediately put a hand to the side of her head to steady herself. "Shit… no shouting…" She moaned weakly.

_I'm a boy..._ Len thought with despair.

"Ah, I'm sorry Rin-chan." Yukira's smile turned apologetic. The girl seemed to converse with her smiles or something. "But could we wait for Miki-chan to clean up and get changed?" Her God-given topaz eyes turned pleading. "Please?"

Rin huffed and crossed her arms. "If you put it that way… 'kay."

"Thanks, Rin-chan. You're a nice girl." Yukira smiled brilliantly. Miki nodded in agreement, smiling gently as well. Rin turned her face away with color creeping up her cheeks.

Miki turned to Yukira again. "But I'll have to get my clothes from my room across the hall. I didn't bring one here."

"Hmm… I think we're about the same size. I'll lend you another one of my nightdresses." The white girl clapped her hands. Miki's smile brightened up a notch. "Really? Thanks!"

"No problem!" Yukira ran to her closet, "I'll get it immediately!" She yelled before disappearing inside her way large closet

"As for that," Shira pointed to Miki's bloody clothes with her chin. "I'll wash it for you, I'm responsible, anyway."

"Eh? No, it's alright, Shira-nee! I'll just leave it at the cleaners. I've been meaning to do that anyway."

"Is that so? Then guess it can't be helped."

"But… thanks for the offer." Miki said shyly.

Shira smirked, but they had to take her pale eyes into consideration. "You're welcome."

The older whitette rolled over again. "I just wish I had brought my full kitsune-mimi miko costume. Right now it's stuck in my closet." She grinned at the red girl. "I'm more of a fox person than a cat person, Miki-chan." Shira whispered coyly, ignoring everyone's quickly reddening face as they started imagining Shiraki in a kitsune-mimi miko costume. For some reason, a kitsune-mimi seemed to fit her perfectly.

_Slam,_

Yukira ran back with a white, knee-length nightdress. "Here, Miki-chan!" She held out the fabric for Miki to see. "What do you think?"

Miki stood up and took the cloth gently, putting enough distance for her to safely appreciate it without worrying about getting blood on the white fabric. "It's pretty, and I bet it'll feel nice to wear to sleep." Miki gave Yukira a brilliant smile. "I love it."

Yukira clapped her hands in delight. "I'm glad you think so, now get changed so we can listen to our imouto-chans torture me or my sister— wait a sec." The white girl stared at the said sister and Miki, both of whom refused to meet her gaze.

"Shira-nee…? What have you been teasing Miki-chan with just now…? No, I don't want to know." She sighed. "The bathroom's there." Miki nodded with her red ahoge bobbing. "And I think unless we want our imouto-chans to kill us in frustration, you'd better get changed quickly."

* * *

><p>The ahoge'd girl slowly draped Yukira's nightdress over the bathtub. Satisfied she wouldn't have to worry about getting blood on it as she washed, she looked into the mirror to analyze the damage.<p>

Yukira had wiped most of the blood on her, but it had smeared over and dried all over her face. Her pants had somehow escaped the damage but the shirt was practically soaked in the front. The blood must have seeped through the thin fabric and got on her upper body as well.

Miki sighed_. I'll have to take a shower._ Just with water would do the job. But there was no way she was getting this off without it. She could soak a towel in water and wipe herself; but that would ruin Yukira's towel, which she noticed was either white or yellow. Easy staining colors.

Miki started to take her clothes off. _Why did I… I…'go off' like that? _She thought,_ I mean, Shiraki-nee-san's got a great body, as good as Luka-nee or Lily-nee, and that black cat ear did look good on her…and that paw… and that cat-like smile… and the way she winked… and the way she—_

Miki stopped her thoughts before she had another 'episode' in the new girl's bathroom half-naked.

Well, at least she wasn't the only one who was affected. Miku-nee looked like she was holding onto the carpet to not jump on the momentarily-cat-like girl.

Wait, maybe that was exactly what she was doing… but she didn't have nosebleeds at least.

Miki started the shower, blushing just as bad as when the twins teased her about her liking it when people acted like animals.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Gumi glanced at Miku, who was arranging the futons and the covers.<p>

"Well, it's about time to go to sleep, isn't it? It's almost midnight. We have to go to the studio tomorrow too. And only Rin-chan and I've got questions left now."

Midnight? For some reason it felt a lot longer than that to the greenette. She took one trip down the memory lane and understood immediately.

_Exactly in which manner did she manage to involve herself in something as one-sided like THIS?_ Shira wondered for the second time, then thought that it was probably exactly like how she expected it to have happened. "Tomorrow's our first day of work, too Yura-chan." she swirled her glass of wine to fully awaken the sleeping bouquet. "Nervous?"

Yukira bit her lower lip. "Kinda." She mumbled.

"_Daijobu_, Yukira-chan! I'm convinced you'd do fine!" Miku said, heaving the last futon into its proper place.

"Huh, we do? Damn… that means I'll have to get up early tomorrow to get ready." Gumi dragged her hand down the length of her face. "I hate mornings…" she grumbled.

"So, what will we be doing there?" Shira took the last sip of her wine and inhaled the last aroma left in the glass. "We haven't been a Vocaloid before, you know."

Miku shrugged. "I' guess you'll prepare for new songs; you can't do anything without them. Maybe one of our Ps might have sent you a song already."

"P?" Yukira looked up.

"Producers." Gumi answered. "That's our term for composers… for some reason. It's been so before Miku and I became Vocaloids. They have deals with the industry. Money for each song composed, more if you get famous."

"Not all, Gumi-chan. Some just send songs without money." Miku sat down behind Gumi and wrapped her arms around the greenette's neck. "There's SignalP, YuuyuP, Otetsu, Oster Project, Konayuki... and a few others."

Gumi tried to shrug Miku off but the tealette held firm, giggling. "Come to think of it, Konayuki sent you a new song, Gumi-chan~!" She sang.

The greenette ceased her protests immediately. "When?"

"Yesterday! It was Mosaic Roll, I rather liked the lyrics." Miku giggled again, tightening her hold on Gumi's neck. "Oh, really? Then I guess I—" Gumi threw herself sharply backwards, slamming Miku to the floor.

Gumi dusted off her shoulders. "Good riddance." She muttered before putting her knee on Miku's stomach and pressed, making Miku groan. "How many times do I—"

"Yukira-chan! I love this! And it fits perfectly on me!" Miki rushed out from the bathroom. "I didn't expect us to have exactly the same size!"

Yukira glowed. "Really? That means we can share our clothes!"

"The two of you would look like a couple if you do that~ Owowow! You're going to give me internal damage Gumi-chan—Ow!" Both the whitette and the redhead somehow blushed in the same shade of spectacular red.

"So you're finally out, Miki-nee." Rin huffed. "I thought you were going to take forever."

"Sorry, but I had to take a shower." Miki apologized and sat down with Yukira. "So, what were you trying to tell us?

"Well," Rin began in her best detective voice, "from what I noticed, Shira-nee talked about her sexualities with ease, but she didn't mention _Yukira_-nee at all. In fact,"—she directed her gaze to Shira—"I'd say you downright avoided them. What do you say? Hanane-san." Rin looked rather proud of herself.

"You're right. Wait a sec; I'm pretty sure I cut the cake in eight pieces. Why is the plate empty?"

"Sorry, Shira-nee. I had two…" Yukira scratched her chin in embarrassment. "Your strawberry cheese cake is just too good."

"I understand completely. It was great." Miki clapped her hands. "Oh! I know this café that makes amazing cakes! Want to go with me?"

"Yes! When?"

"I think… let's just meet after work tomorrow. I've got to film for a PV too." "Yes! I'll be waiting!"

"WHY ISN'T ANYONE LISTENING TO ME?"

"You've already had your question, Rin-chan." Shira tipped her with a sly wink. "You've got absolutely no right to ask another."

"BUT— BUT—" Rin stuttered in bewilderment, finally seeing the trap she had dug, got inside, and buried the dirt over her all with one slip of her tongue. "AAAAARRRRGGHH!" Rin tore her hair in frustration.

Miku rested her chin on her hand. "So I guess it's my turn at last. Let's see…"

"Len-chan, am I existing?" Rin asked softly to Len. He gave her a pitiful look and nodded.

"Y'know, mind if I go to the bathroom for a moment?" Miku said apologetically. "I think I had too much leek juice before coming here."

"Whatever. Wait a sec, _leek_ juice—?"

Miku giggled. "I'll be right back!" The tealette stood up and made as if to go to the bathroom as she said. She was just behind Shira when she suddenly slipped her hands inside the front folds of the tall white girl's yukata.

"Miku!" Gumi facepalmed at her friend's actions. "What are you doing—!"

"AH-HA!" Miku yelled gleefully, coming out with two thick pieces of soft objects that had been hidden inside Shira's bra.

"..." Shira blanched. Her already white complexion turning even paler than usual.

"Sh-Shira-nee..." Rin gasped. "You've been wearing PADS?" The whitette's her breast size had quite obviously shrunk after forced removal by Miku. Not much, but enough to be noticible.

"I knew there was something unnatural with your breasts!" Miku yelled, jumping up and down in the air. "It just seemed too big for you! I _knew_ you were the tall-and-lean type of girl at first glance, not the tall-and-busty type! Yay!"

"Shira-nee, I told you it wasn't a good idea." Yukira sighed, shaking her head. "Your breasts are fine the way it is. You're a lot larger than Miku-nee already." She said, stabbing a knife into Miku's heart and twisting it in complete ignorance.

The tealette tripped over her own feet and slammed her head on the floor. "Ow..." Miku groaned, lifting her head up from the thick carpet that broke her fall. _That was harsh... _"I guess you're right. It's not like Luka-nee, but your breasts are still large, Shira-chan!" Miku put her chin on her chin, looking at Shira's breasts like it was a nice dessert just after fine dinner. "Yes, you're still larger than any of us..."

"Stop looking at me like that." Shira snapped, crossing her arms over her breasts to hide them from the tealette's stare.

"Shira-nee, it's alright. You're still larger than most people. Just consider Luka-nee an exception." Her sister said, looking steadily into pale blue eyes. "I like it better when you're not wearing pads, Shira-nee." She said softly, reaching out to hold her onee-san's hand.

"...alright." Shira muttered. "I won't from now on."

"Wow! These are really thick, Shira-nee!" Rin said, holding the pads in front of her face. "How did you walk around without these slipping out?"

"Give that back," Shira snapped, snatching them out of the blonde's hands, "that's still mine." She huffed, hiding the pads in the pocket of her yukata. She thought about crossing her arms again, but let them by her side, choosing to bear the curious looks from everyone in the room instead. She'd have to stand them for a few days if she was going to stop. And it was her fault, for deciding to wear them in first place. She forced herself to relax, letting heat disperse from her face.

_She's got size complex with those breasts?_ Gumi thought quizically. _I think _s_he's already large enough. Miku probably wishes for that sized breasts before sleep..._

The greenette could see what Miku had meant: now Shira did looked more like herself. It was just something she saw it immediately, probably instinctively. Shira was a tall-and-slim kind of girl, but her breasts were still large enough. Larger than average, in fact. Way more than enough for her to be content, considering how the rest of them except Gumi had almost no breasts at all(poor Rin was always checking herself on the mirror, hoping for any change from the night before. Unfortunately, her hopes had always been crushed to this day).

"Let's continue with the game! I get the final question to Yukira-chan!" Miku grinned, ignoring the glare from her newest friend that said: _you think you're just going to walk out like nothing happened?_ "Wait a sec," Shira protested. "You uncovered a secret of mine, Miku-chan. So you shouldn't—"

"Yukira-chan, do you like boys or girls?" The tealette asked cheerfully before her sister could save her.

The victim of the game wordlessly hid behind her hands with the tip of her ears burning furiously. "Come on!" Miku poked the whitette with a tip of her finger. "You know all of our preferences! It's only fair you tell us yours!" The tealette demanded. _Fair how?_ Gumi wondered with a sigh. She didn't want to force the girl to reveal herself, whatever her preferences were. If she said it first, then fine. But she didn't like the idea of a girl being dragooned into revealing a secret when she didn't want to.

"…I don't know." She said timidly.

"What was that!"

"I don't know. I've never had a lover or a crush. So… I don't know." The innocent white girl wrapped her arms around her legs.

"It's not like you need to _love_ someone! Just your preferences!" Miku protested. "Look, imagine—"

"Gumi-chan in black lingerie smiling sexily?"

"Great idea, Shira-chan!"

"Wait, why the hell is it me?"

"That's just what I was thinking about." The two of them said in perfect unison.

Gumi walked over to the yellow-papered wall and slammed her head exactly eleven times. She fell to her seat, acting like nothing happened. "Go on." A large lump was starting to rise from her forehead.

"Well? Yukira-chan?" Miku asked expectantly.

The small white girl blushed even deeper. Miki held her hand for support.

Shira scooted over to face her imouto-chan. "Come on, Yura-chan! Have you ever dreamed of romance with girls?"

"I… I… wait a minute! You're supposed to be my onee-san!" Yukira glowered at her sister.

Shira shook one pale index finger. "Na-a-ah! You forgot that I'm a participant in this game! I have every right to interrogate you even though I'm your older sister." She grinned evilly. It was too late to save her anyway. Her thin-banded aquamarine ring caught the light as it moved sideways.

"So did you ever kiss someone?" Miku leaned in. "Hmm? A peck on the lips, even?"

"Or," Shira leaned in as well. Putting her head side by side to Miku's, "a deep kiss between lovers?"

"No! I never kissed anyone like that; I just told you I never had any lovers before! I mean, the only ones I had were from you, Shira-nee, and… and…"

"And they were just sisterly kisses." Shira completed her sister's sentence for her. "C'mon, Yura-chan! You're sixteen and your lips are still untainted? Unbelievable…" Shira sighed deeply. "Can you believe that!" She demanded to Miku. "Nope." The tealette replied immediately. Gumi had a sudden premonition that these two would get along nicely.

"Normally, I wouldn't either." Shira groaned loudly. "But the only people I'd think it's actually possible is you and Miki-chan." Miki blushed alarmingly. This time Yukira gave her a squeeze on her hand for support.

"Wait, I have an idea." Miku murmured softly, looking into Yukira's deep yellow eyes with a new glint the white girl found infinitely more dangerous than her teasing twinkle. "Let's... test her." Miku wrapped her arms around Yukira's neck, her taller height overshadowing the white girl's smaller figure.

Miku slowly closed the distance between their lips, tightening her embrace to draw her closer. She ran her eyes over the white haired girl's face, taking time to enjoy her large innocent eyes the shade of deep gold, the softness and silkiness of her white skin, the long, curved eyelashes, the fine strands of neck-length white hair that curved toward her face, and the trembling lips that glistened and beckoned her to come, to taste them, to lock them with her own in fiery heat of desire between lips and tongues.

She felt Yukira-chan's warm breath on her lips as the distance grew ever smaller.

The thought of violating unclaimed beauty, the angelic expression on the smaller girl's face fueled her wants, turning it to an unexpectedly sudden blazing fire of lust and passion she knew she couldn't control. Miku's eyes grew glazed as the ardent emotion took over her so furiously, so furiously that she couldn't protest.

Yukira couldn't move. The beautiful teal eyes filled her heart and mind. It was like falling into a deep well where the bottom lies far. Something seemed to be transpiring from the tealette to herself, making her feel strangely anticipating. Her hold on Miki's hand loosened as strength drained from her body to be replaced with something else. Something unfamiliar... but not unpleasant. Her heartbeat doubled, then tripled, as the distance grew ever smaller.

And she really didn't know of her preferences. So why not put it to a test, just like Miku suggested? The moment seemed to stretch out to forever. She closed her eyes slowly, without deliberation. Miku hid those mesmerizing teal orbs in same speed. The grip on her neck tightened, pulling her body to the older girl. She could smell the tealette's natural scent; taste them on her tongue as she drew in gasps of breath. Sweeter than any perfume and yet as individual as personalities. Now she could feel the heat of Miku's lips on her own, and soon—

No.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

To Miku this was simply a game, a joke. She did not love her, and nor did she love the older girl.

This couldn't be her first kiss.

Miku did not expect herself to be caught so deeply. She inhaled Yukira's scent, noticing from a vague part of her mind she tasted like strawberries. The heat from her parted lips touched her own. She tightened her hold on Yukira's neck to close the final gap—

Two sets of topaz polished fingers grabbed her shoulder and pushed her sharply backwards. She tried to draw her hands back to stop the fall, but the same set of hands viced her wrists and held them next to her face as she pressed her body against Miku's, the short white hair tickling against the side of her face. Helpless, Miku fell straight backwards on the futons with the girl directly above her. The soft futons cushioned her fall; but the combined weight of both girls was still enough to knock out her breath.

"_Ne, ne_, Miku-chan." The whitette sat up on Miku's waist with her knees planted firmly on the floor, pinning Miku's wrists next to her face. "Don't you know you shouldn't take other girls' first kisses without permission?" Her voice drawled from the above.

Miku inhaled deeply to feel her empty lungs once more. She turned her head sideways; her dazed mind uncomprehending the reason for wrists' immobility.

"Miku-chan?" Yukira whispered silkily. Only then did the teal girl look up again with glazed eyes that immediately grew wide.

Miku swallowed. This one was…

The other one.

Yukira had changed. The angelic topaz eyes, as innocent as first snow, was now looking down at her with slight derision. One side of her lips was pulled up to form an arrogant smirk.

"Miku-chan…" Yukira sighed, "You should have been careful when you were dealing with girls you don't even know well yet, hmm?" She suddenly swooped down, putting her lips a hands breath away from Miku's. "They might not be as… easy as you think." She whispered downwards. "And really, you shouldn't play around with first kisses. Isn't it mildly immoral to take away something that only comes once for your pleasure?" Yukira crooned, her topaz eyes blazing with unknown fire. Her medium-length white hair enshrouded Miku's face from the world, creating a smaller one with their faces so close by.

So close.

"It's a shame, though… I bet Miku-chan's lips would taste sweet if I ravaged you." She smiled sweetly, her eyes as intense as summer sun. "Shame." She repeated softly, and began to slowly inch closer.

This time it was Miku who was captivated, unable to neither protest nor escape. Her breathing caught, heart accelerating along with it. Topaz eyes met turquoise with their situations reversed. "Shame..." Her captor whispered.

A gentle finger slowly pushed at the white girl's forehead, lifting it upwards.

"Yura-chan," Shira said gently, but not without faint traces of amusement, "I think that's enough."

Yukira scowled. "Nee-san. Don't you know it's…?" The silence stretched out. "It's…" Shira kept on smiling gently, keeping her finger on her sister's forehead.

The scowl faltered, and was replaced by a shocked expression. "Ah…" Yukira hurriedly removed herself from Miku's body. "I-I'M SORRY!" She clapped her hands to her mouth, visibly mortified.

Gumi giggled. Shira choked over her sip of wine at the sound. "Why are you apologizing? She had that coming a long time ago, playing around with people like that." Yukira still continued to apologize all the while, helping dazed Miku to sit up properly.

Rin and Len's face literally glowed. "Well, I guess it's safe to say Yukira-nee prefers—"

"NO!" Yukira shouted, her face redder than ever. And that was saying something. "I don't know what I said, but I know I definitely didn't mean a word!"

"But nee-san! You looked like you were really going to ravage—" "You looked like you were really enjoying the thought of taking—"

"LIGHTS OUT!" She screamed and turned off the lights with a flick of her fingers, leaving the others to find their ways around their respective futons in darkness. The twins grumbled for a while, but snuggled under their covers soon enough. Only Shira was left standing in the moonlight.

"You know… I never had bought any futons till now…? I never thought I'd need it?"

They saw her shadowy figure waver as she shook her head, her long straight hair moving in sync. "Guess I'll have to sleep on the bed."

Another shadowy figure rose from the futons, her equally long hair trailing out. "No, Shira-chan!" Miku exclaimed, having recovered immediately from the unexpected assault. "That would ruin the sleepover! Sleep with me!"

A third shadowy figure suddenly sat up as if she heard a sixty feet tidal wave was straight on their way. "Are you fucking insane?" Gumi screamed. "Do you feel like getting fucking RAPED tonight?" Her shoulder length green hair jumped as she grabbed Miku's shoulders and shook them fiercely. "I'm worried about sleeping in the same room and you're actually inviting her? What did you just say? _'Sleep_ with me'?" Miku's teeth rattled as the greenette shook her fiercely. "Are. You. INSANE?" Gumi roared.

"All right, all right! I'll sleep with Yura-chan, happy?" Shira grumbled and crawled inside her sister's thick covers. Yukira immediately snuggled closer to her, wrapping an arm around her sister's body.

"No, but that's one of the better options." Gumi let go of Miku. "Don't. Ever. Do that again." She growled, shaking a finger at the tealette in the dark.

Two giggles.

"Ne, Gumi-chan! I never thought you cared so much about me!" "Quite protective of Miku-chan, aren't ya?"

_Smack, slap._

Two screams of pain.

"…Oyasumi nasai."

* * *

><p><strong>Ah... that was one insane sleepover, wasn't it? ^^<strong>

**I swear, revising this took longer than writing the first draft :p**

**And for the ones think I should've had some serious MikuxLuka by now... well, I gotta admit this story's been too focused on the Hananes till now. *cough and look away* I'm afraid I favorited them a bit after all... *blocks objects thrown at me* I'm sorry, dear readers. Heh-heh... *shrinks*  
>But MxL IS the main couple, so don't worry about not being able to see your favorite pairing~ X3<strong>

**To the reviewers:**

IdrewAcow: Ah, thanks so much for the wonderful review, and for being a good friend for me as well. You were the first person to compliment me on my writing style ^^ Thank you so much. For everything you've done for me.

pleasure: Thanks! I didn't think that scene was going to be that hilarious, but I'm so glad you enjoyed my story all the same :D And I say that's an interesting penname ^0^

Halios Mililios: You were the very first to add me to **FAVORITE AUTHOR!** Thank you! Thank you so much! XD And don't worry, I'm so gonna continue writing this story! As long as I have wonderful readers like you!

tjcooper666 : ;w; THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm so glad you put my story in such high regard!

**And I'd be very glad if an artist would draw Shira and Yukira for me :D I'm afraid drawing's not my thing... I wish I could create them on paper, though. But since I can't... I'd love it if you would XD**  
><strong>Please tell me in the review if you will, would you? I'll give you the precise details *^^* It would also be one of the greatest help you could give me.<strong>

**Well, that's all I wanted to say in this A/N. I think I'll be able to upload the next chapter sooner then this one at least. Bye!**

**-Iluvian Melody**


	4. One More Kiss

**Wow... and after I said that I was pretty sure that I could upload faster this time... *gets shot***

***cough* I'm so sorry! But school... had been so tough on me *breaks down in tears* It's a miracle I've got this out... But I tried my hardest on this chapter still. It's just...**

**school.**

***sigh***

**A-Anyway, here's the way-too-long delayed fourth chapter! Hope you like it... *timidly backs away***

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: One More Kiss<p>

"I'm home…"

Luka said under her breath half-heartedly as she entered the mansion. She waited a few seconds for a reply anyway, then realized that the hallway was dark, without any lights on to illuminate the interior. Since none of them enjoyed unnecessary luxury, it was actually plainer than people expected.

She frowned in confusion. Where was everyone? It was rare for the mansion to be completely empty like this… Then she re-accounted everyone's schedule: Kaito and Meiko were preparing for a concert for the two of them, Lily had a PV shooting, Miku, Gumi, Miki, Shira, and Yukira were still recording, the Kagamines were having their pictures taken, and Gakupo… was off to buy a sword, replying with a blank look when they pointed out that it was illegal to carry bladed-materials without license in Japan.

_But who cares about the rules in here…?_ Luka thought, a tired smile parting her lips. Maybe herself and just a few others. As for the rest?

Luka chuckled, flicking on the light by running her hand on the switches. Just one day in the mansion would give anyone the correct answer to the question. Rules were one of the things that were more or less kept… preferably less. She supposed that this meant that she had the mansion to herself for time being.

_Now this is new,_ she thought, sitting down on one of the comfortable couches in the hall to rest her legs a bit. She was tired. Heavily. Her driver had called in for sick, and she hadn't been able to take a ride in someone else's car as she had originally thought she could. Today's schedule only had one song for her to record, and that was it. No shooting, no interview, no concert, no debating (arguing) with their insane manager. In the end, she had finished even before lunch. And since waiting for anyone else to finish without even a book was too much of a task, she had simply decided to walk home. That turned out to be one of the worse things she had done.

_If my driver can get me here in ten minutes…_ Luka let out a sigh, stretching out her legs. Her cramped muscles stretched out in a manner that was both painful and pleasing. …_Exactly how fast has he been driving me?_

In the end, she called down a taxi in the middle of the road. When the driver had heard that she had left her money in the mansion and would pay him double the next time she saw him, he had sheepishly asked for one of her autographs instead. She more than gladly gave him one. Judging by his expression, it probably made today the best day of his life. Frankly, even though he didn't look like he wanted it for its monetary value, she knew that her autograph was worth more than the fare she owed him.

_So what now?_

Maybe a bath to relax her stiff muscles. And then nap until someone (probably Lily, best friends have their uses) wakes her up for dinner. Forget lunch. She was too tired to cook anything, and right now that included toast. Besides, she didn't like eating alone. It made her feel too lonesome, especially in the large dining room that was meant for ten or more people at once. One of the negative drawbacks of living in the mansion was the empty vacancy of the place in the few occasions there were too few people to fill up the space.

Luka unwillingly got up from the too comfortable couch that her body was quite persistent on not being separated from, letting out a sleepy yawn.

"Or maybe nap first, then bath." She mumbled, her eyes closing shut for a moment. She seriously considered just going to sleep right there and then, but convinced herself that her bed would be better, not to mention that she didn't really want to sleep where others could see her. After all, who knew how long she would be sleeping? Lily always teased her that she 'slept like she was dead'.

Luka dragged her feet along the thick carpet that pretty much muffled her footsteps to inaudibility. The few minutes on the comfortable surface seemed to have somehow made her more tired than ever, instead of lessening her discomfort, as had been her original intention. Her entire body wanted to do nothing but just curl up on the thick carpet and go to sleep.

Shaking her head, she began to climb the steps. But halfway up the stairs, her hand on the marble railings to support her, she paused.

She was alone in the mansion.

Alone in the mansion.

Hesitantly, Luka raised her head to check if anyone else was in immediate area of her sight. "Hello?" She called uncertainly, and got no reply.

This time she raised her voice. "Hello!"

The sound rang, echoed, and eventually faded in the large household.

"Think" Luka spoke to herself, unconsciously tossing her glorious pink hair to the side, "what do people do when they're alone in a place?"

The answer was obvious enough: what they always wanted to do, but couldn't because there were others present.

Slowly, Luka adjusted her course of the path so that it would deter from the original one, the one that would have taken her to her own room. She walked with hesitance, and yet with slight eagerness that seemed to be deliberately suppressed.

It wasn't long before the pinkette was in front of a certain door, in the hall the younger Vocaloids used.

"All right…" Luka ran her tongue over her dry lips in an effort to moisten them. She swallowed for the same effect for her throat.

_I have no business here…_ she thought, and shoved it away with almost physical force.

Taking a deep breath, Luka raised her hand to eye level, noticing that it was trembling. She gathered her fingers into a loose fist, drew it back, then abruptly let it unclench.

_What am I supposed to say?_ She wondered briefly, then groaned in exasperation with herself. _No one_ was going to come out. That was the whole point of being here.

Clearing her throat, she lightly rapped on the door twice, just above the name plank 'Miku-chan' that was written in teal.

The pinkette waited for two full minutes; heat on her face, heart pounding, hands held just over her heart, before she realized her mistake.

She smacked herself on her forehead in exasperation. If Miku wasn't here, then there was no way she'd answer the door. God, why was she fumbling with herself like this?

"All right…" she muttered. "I'm going in." she stated to herself, and reached out. But just before her fingers could touch the round metal she drew them sharply back, almost as if shocked. She examined the tips of her fingers, daunted by how they trembled.

She tried again…only to the same effect.

"ARRRRGGH!" Luka tugged on her hair in frustration. She was going to take a look into Miku's room, not a strip club! There was absolutely no reason for her to be nervous like this!

Was there?

Why did she want to look into Miku's room anyway? That was something private, she knew that.

Luka took back a step, glaring at the stupid door with her arms crossed under her large breasts. "I'm going in," she growled, deciding to not let the little details stop her, "and you'd better not stop me."

The door wisely chose to stand silent.

"All right, Luka." She said bravely, giving herself two slaps on both cheeks for encouragement. "You can do this."

**Two minutes later**

"I CAN'T DO THIS!" The pinkette wailed, sobbing on the carpet with her back to the unwavering, impenetrable door that was worse than a dragon guardian. "What if she sees me?" Luka cried.

"_Ugh, senpai. You're disgusting." Miku's teal eyes blazed frostily. Luka whimpered under the cold gaze, trying to get as small as possible. "Trying to get into your own kouhai's room like some sick pervert?" Miku demanded. "You're hopeless."_

"_Miku! I'm so sorry!" Luka cried, tears flowing down her cheek. "Don't leave me!"_

"_I'm sorry, _senpai._" Miku said slowly, her icy words twisting their way into the pinkette's heart. "But I don't want to be within fifty-mile radius of you anymore."_

_Suddenly, bright green nails wrapped themselves around Miku's pale neck. "Miku-chan~" Gumi giggled softly. "How long are you going to leave me up in that large, cold bed all by myself?" She whimpered, sucking on the tip of the tealette's earlobe._

"_Gumi-chan." Miku grinned. "Don't worry, my love. I'll get to you as soon as I'm done with… _that_." Her disgust was plain on the last word, making Luka gasp as if stabbed._

"_Mm…" Gumi shivered, her bright green eyes darkened by lust. "Then be quick, darling."_

"_Why would I want to be away from my Gumi-chan any longer than necessary?" Miku whispered, leaving a quick bite on the greenette's neck that made Gumi shiver. She turned to face the sobbing Luka once more. "And you," she deadpanned, "are forever banned from entering this mansion again." Her teal eyes burned with the palest, coldest flames Megurine Luka has ever seen._

"_No… please." she sobbed, sprawled on the steps. "Please… let me speak, with anyone—"_

"_The punishment has been unanimously decided. Peeking into a kouhai's room is the lowest of low." Miku stated, "Not even Lily has shown mercy toward you." Her teal-polished hands started to close the large door._

"_No! Please, Miku!" Luka cried, reaching out with one hand that was soon enveloped in the dark; the thin patch of light ceasing as the door closed. "PLEASE!"_

_The hands closing the door slowed down, and a flutter of hope danced briefly in Luka's heart._

"_And oh yes," The tealette added. "You're no longer a Vocaloid, either."_

_Miku and Gumi's happy giggles were the last thing she heard before the doors closed forever._

"Nooooooooooooooooooo!" Luka wailed, jerking out of her daydream. "Gumi can't have Miku—"

Luka cut herself off. _What am I saying?_ She thought bewilderedly. _It's not like I—_

She faltered, and slowly guided her left thumb to the small of the inside of her wrist, just below her right hand, pale skin over pale. Her brief examination confirmed that her pulse was a bit faster than normal.

It disturbed her a lot, though.

Luka sighed, ruffling her hair with exasperation with herself, but of different kind, one that was more serious. Until now she had been acting without thinking, but not because she was the type of person who worked with inspirations and out-of-the-moment ideas. She was one of those who would write down planners, or make a list of things to do. She just didn't want to think. That was all, as unlikely for her as it was. She had things she wanted to do, and yet she didn't want to consider of the reason why. In short, she was keeping herself deliberately in the dark, acting because she wanted to, but irresponsibly ignoring of the reasons why.

Because it stirred too much of herself if she tried to. She didn't want that, nor did she want to not do what she wanted. For the few time in her life, the ever-level-headed Luka was unsure; doubtful. And ignoring herself like this made her feel guilty; for she knew that trespassing into Miku's room… well, that was just an invasion of privacy, right? And yet she had been about to do it without even thinking, just because she wasn't going to be bothered. That was pretty pathetic, really.

She decided that things can't go on anymore like this. She'd go to her own room…then take a good trip down the mental road. With her pink brows pinched together, Luka tried to grab something to help herself up, reaching out with her right hand. Her fingers brushed against something round and cold, and with her attention still on her pulse, Luka made a grab for it. But the metal was too smooth, too round, and her hand only managed to turn it halfway before they lost it; for suddenly the door that had been supporting her back was gone.

She fumbled, her eyes wide in fear, before she fell inside the room she had been trying to get in for the last half an hour, banging her head on the carpet. She let out an involuntary groan of pain before she clamped her hand over her mouth.

She swallowed loudly, took two peeks in both side of the hallway to confirm she was still alone.

Maybe… she should still ignore herself. For just a bit longer. _"O-Ojyamashimasu…"_ she hurriedly closed the door behind her, entering Miku's room for the first time. She patted the wall for the switch, found it, and flicked it to the other side, throwing bright light into the room that had been in semi-darkness excepting the thin sunlight coming through the window, shaded by the curtain.

Teal.

So much teal.

The first thing she saw was the color a single diva managed to make internationally popular.

Teal.

Luka's sapphire blue eyes slowly swept sideways, almost overwhelmed by the color that came in every shade. Light teal, deep teal, blue teal, green teal. There were enough shades of teal in the room for her to immediately decide that all of them were there. She had been expecting it, of course, they all decorated their rooms in their favorite shades, which happened to be their own, but no one she knew went this far. The few none-teal objects included a large black piano in a corner, and the books and papers that were either scattered on the desk or stacked in the shelves.

Slowly, taking an unhurried step after another, Luka began to make her way around the room. Despite all the teal, it was still a girly room. Not in the obnoxious, hearts-on-the-wall-and-frilly-bed-covers-with-hearts way, but no one would have called it a boy's, nor a woman's. There was something both obviously feminine and teenage in the place, though hard to pinpoint.

Luka slowly and curiously made her examination of the tealette's room, which, although she didn't know, had been cleaned by Gumi a few days ago with Miku helping, grumbling every minute or so. She sniffed the air, noticing that the entire room smelled faintly of some sweetness that was just as hard to define. This happened to be the first time she had been in Miku's room till this day, seeing how it wasn't like they had sleepovers. There just had been no cause for her to come in here. She noticed with faint amusement Miku had their own figures and dolls over her bookshelves.

_Oh, my…_ she thought, holding up a particular piece in her hand, _this is rather cute._

It was a figure of Miku adorably sleeping, wrapped in thick covers. The figure had been made slightly unrealistic to make it cuter, but she thought that it was an okay exchange. She put it down again. And for a brief moment she wished to simply take it, if nothing for the fact that it was Miku's.

Disturbed, she dismissed the thought, continuing to look into the room.

She had began from the left-handed side of the wall, and after passing the shelves, TV, desks and other trivial things, her feet eventually took her to Miku's bed. The busty girl sat on its corner, letting it support her tired body. She stretched her arms behind her head, and then simply fell on her back with a sigh.

The mattress was very soft.

"Mm…" Luka sighed. Even in this situation, a sleepy smile bloomed on Luka's tired face in happiness. It was a simple happiness; the kind people get only by a well deserved rest after a hard work, but all the more enjoyable because of its simplicity, without any deeper things to bother her. She yawned, and kicked her way up so that her legs wouldn't be left dangling at the end. And working with almost instinct, just trying to increase the simple pleasure, her hand reached out for the teal pillow to put it under her head; as her other hand made a grab for the teal covers and arranged them properly so that it would warmly drape over her exhausted body.

…_I'm being stupid._

Yes she was. But sometimes, people just had to act against their better judgment, and now seemed to be one of its good cases. She knew well that she should go, that she had no business here, but the bed was way too comfortable for her to leave so soon.

Besides, it would be alright if she enjoyed the bed just a bit before she left, right?

_Miku-chan's… bed._ Even half-asleep, Luka still felt blood rush to her cheeks.

Oh, she should so go… Miku might come in at any moment… But the entire soft surface was enriched with the same scent as the rest of the room, one that belonged to Miku and Miku alone, something hard to be defined by a word.

But so close to pine; somehow sweet more than refreshing.

_I'll…_ Luka yawned, snuggling inside the teal cover. Her pink hair was accented by the deep contrast in color, making it almost shimmer.

_Just… _her marvelous sapphire blue eyes slowly drooped closed. She fought briefly… but lost.

_rest… _

_a… bi… _

_t…_

* * *

><p>"I'll NEVER finish work like this!" Miki sobbed brokenly into her hands. "I never knew that I had piled so much up till today!"<p>

"Miki, it's your fault…" Gumi pointed out, stopping to swallow her carrot cake, "you were the one who piled them all up until today. You were supposed to have shot pictures for Miki Miki Romantic Night three weeks ago so that it could be released."

Miki's only response was to cry harder.

_Oh, wow. That was so smoothly done I want to kneel in your wake, Gumi-sama, _Shira sent a message with her pale-colored eyes, sarcasm plain.

Gumi pointedly ignored her new friend's message, "But you only have to record Satellite and film for MEMORIES now, so"—the greenette wrapped an arm around Miki's shoulder—"just bear it, 'kay?" she grinned encouragingly at the younger girl.

Miki's face color deepened at the unexpected touch from Gumi. "O-Okay, Gumi-nee…" she mumbled, wiping tears from her eyes; more as a suitable reason for not keeping eye contact then keeping her face dry.

The four of them were in the café Miki and Yukira had planned to go to after work. But the redheaded girl had got the dates wrong, and today turned out to be the mass take-care-of-piled-up-work day she had been dreading for months. And since Gumi and the Hananes had finished before her, they had all came to the café for cakes before their ways parted; Miki for more work, the others for comfort and rest in the mansion.

The world could be so cruel.

"What I can't get… is how you can still release songs regularly working like this." Shira said, taking a bite of blueberry cheesecake that was the closest flavor she could get to grapes. She just couldn't understand why people wouldn't make grape cakes. Or how about grape breads? Or rolls? Muffins? The possibility was endless and here she was, actually stuck on _blueberry._

_I want Cabernet Franc… maybe from Loma Larga… _she thought morosely, wishing for the deep sweetness and yet cool after-taste of the species for which made it so popular in summer.

"Our manager takes care of it." Gumi answered instead, mildly looking away to examine her fingers. She made a mental note to pick up a green colored nail-polish on her way home. "He just holds onto them and releases them over a period of time."

Shira raised her eyebrows. "That's smart."

"But he was a bit… well, strange." Yukira piqued from her seat, joining the conversation. She, unlike her sister, had no trouble whatsoever with her choice of cakes. There were plenty made with strawberry based on it, and right now on her plate rested her second strawberry short cake of the day, already closer to half-eaten rather than half-untouched

"Oh, he's insane all right. Insane a plenty. But he does his job well." Gumi sucked on her mountain dew. Forget that it was almost winter. The café was warm enough inside for her to enjoy something cold. She shared Shira's annoyance in the café not having a drink based on her favorite. Was juice the only thing they could make with carrots? Those people seriously lacked imaginations in her opinion.

Shira hummed in response, setting up a little debate on the pros and cons of wines made with Cabernet Franc inside her head.

"Miku got to leave an hour ago, right?" Gumi commented, hanging her arm around the back of her seat. "I wish I was in her place… Mosaic Roll has been a tad bit difficult for me to bring out properly." She grumbled sourly, not in really in a happy mood after singing the same song for twenty times in a row.

"Wonder what Miku's doing now. Anyways, I heard that one was a great song." Shira shrugged, "And we've just got our debut works done as well." She said in a satisfied voice that was tinged with the slightest hint of deserved pride.

"What's the title?" Gumi asked with genuine curiosity. The only time she had got to hear them sing was at the audition, and she would have liked some more.

Shira waved her index finger sideways at the greenette in a 'nah-ah-ah' gesture she didn't care for the least. Her light aquamarine ring she always wore sparkled with each movement. "It's not fair for you to know the title when the whole world is waiting for us, is it Gumi?" She grinned, then in a voice so small it must have been meant for herself: "But Bourgueil 2000 has better texture…"

Gumi thought briefly about doing something stupid and reckless that she would probably regret later, and then disregarded it with a sigh. "Anyway, how come you've only released your silhouettes? Shouldn't you have released pictures at least by now?"

"I thought so too, but apparently that guy wants us to come with 'a bang' as he says. The plan is that we'd stock up with enough songs for a concert of our own, and then with us still in the dark, throw one."

"That's—" Gumi started to say, but took another consideration at the idea. "…That's brilliant." She conceded.

"Yup. As long as people get curious enough to see the two new Vocaloids for the first time." She waved her hands, "The first time the two new divas show themselves to the world!" She stated dramatically, making Miki giggle.

"But we don't have enough songs yet, Shira-nee." Yukira said, stifling a yawn. She didn't have it as bad as Miki, but that didn't mean she had an easy day either. Making a debut was a harder job than she had expected. "Maybe… I should write some for us." She mumbled, thinking of the melodies that had been floating in her head these last few days. She thought it wouldn't be long before they would, somehow, be formed into a complete music without her reckoning. One of them went along the lines of:

_The lovely days spent with each other, let them be made into unbreakable jewels_.

Really, she didn't know where she got the one for that…

But what would she see? What melodies would she listen to before anyone else? The smoothness of the pen as it danced on the blank surface, guided by her hand and thoughts, transforming plain paper into a lock of sleeping music…

Ah, how she loved her art…

"Write when you feel like it." Shira's eyes twinkled. "I know how you work."

"Mm…" Yukira leaned on her Onee-chan's arm, closing her topaz eyes. Shira smiled and began to stroke her sister's white hair that was just a tone different from her own white. "I wish I could take a nap…"

Miki stared. "After waking up in ten in the morning?" They did go to sleep a bit late last night… and the night hasn't been exactly silent all the while, but still…

"Waking up in ten in the morning is perfectly natural." Gumi grumbled, "It's the rest of the world that's strange." The younger whitette nodded sleepily to her new senpai's words. Shira, a morning person who got up every day at seven o'clock, kept her mouth shut. And yet the slight glint in her pale eyes mildly annoyed Gumi. Usually she was a more cheerful girl, but not the combination of lack of sleep and a sore throat… well, that could make the most cheerful person grouchy.

_Tap, tap_

Gumi glanced at the direction of the glass wall, thinking that it must be one of those stupid fans who were obsessed with them. A phrase to scatter them was on the tip of her tongue just before she realized the person who had rapped on the glass frame had fine lemon-gold hair all the way to her pelvis, and her eyes were the light blue of shallow rivers.

Masuda Lily tapped on the glass wall of the café again with a bright grin on her face. The tall busty girl had been going home with Meiko, when she caught the sight of her kouhais. She mouthed the words: _hey_, _girls_, before entering the café with the brunette dragged behind, pausing to grab coffees before joining them.

"Hey, kids." Lily said cheerfully, easily falling down to her seat. "What's going on here?"

"_K-Konnichiha_, Lily-senpai, Meiko-senpai!" Yukira greeted the older songstresses tensely.

"…What's with that attitude, Hanane?" The blonde said sharply.

"E-Eh?" The whitette panicked, frantically trying to find what she could have done to offend her. "_E-E-Eto—g-g-g-g-g-g-gomenna—ack!"_

Lily sighed, seeing the younger girl nearly bite of her tongue in her rush. "You call me 'senpai' one more time and I swear I'll hang you upside-down with your feet." The busty girl hung her arm off the back of the chair, flicking her a crooked grin. "Make it Lily; I'll accept Lily-nee to a degree. Understood, kid?"

"Yes, Lily-nee-san!" Yukira snapped a salute at the older girl with a glowing smile.

Lily gulped, losing her cool for the shortest second_. Whoa, she really is as cute as they told me…_

"T-Take out 'san', Yukira, eh… -chan."

"_Hai!_ Lily-nee! But… um…" the younger whitette glanced at Meiko, who had been quiet until now. "So… um… Meiko-nee…?"

The brunette looked flustered. "…Make it Meiko-senpai."

"Oh, c'mon Mei-chan!" Lily laughed impudently, considering how she was a year younger than the garnet-eyed singer. "Don't be so stiff with her!"

Meiko growled at the Internet co.'s Vocaloid, "_You_ call me Meiko-senpai! I must've told you that more than a hundred times!"

"Of course!" Lily giggled, "You've been saying that ever since we've met! Ah, how time flies…"

"AND YOU STILL WON'T FIX THAT ATTITUDE—"

Shira raised her hands, "Eh… can I make my introductions so I could go back to chatting?"

"Oh, hi! You're Shiraki, right?" Lily beamed, ignoring the dark black auras gathering around the brunette.

"I'll call you Lily-nee if you call me Shira." The older whitette proposed, a light grin curving her lips. Lily immediately decided that she liked this girl. "It's a deal, girl." She grabbed and shook her hand briefly. "I gotta say, you're looking quite—"

"Pretty?"

"Ridiculous." Lily finished, her grin unwavering.

"R-RIDICULOUS?" Shira exclaimed, pale eyes trembling minutely.

"Yup. What's with all that hair, really?" Lily took a handful, then let them fall from her hands. "How the hell do you maintain it? It's nice; I give you that, but still…"

"Beauty comes with a price, you know." Shira muttered, "Don't you know that?"

"Whatever. And your eyes! I thought I was the one with the prettiest blue around here!" Lily said crossly, "How come you're born with an even paler one than me?" She demanded.

Shira frowned. "I didn't _choose_ to be born with it, you know. Your blue isn't bad. Besides, what about Luka-senpai and Rin? They're blue too."

"Hmm… yeah, Luka-chan's blue isn't bad either. But forget the twins; they're too young for anything 'beautiful', more like 'pretty'. Besides, I like _deep_ blue on others, but _I_ wanna be _light_ blue."

"That's sorta contradictory, Lily-nee…" Yukira said in a small voice.

"It's not. What people wants on others and themselves are different all the time. And—" Lily frowned, "What happened to your breasts?"

Gumi winced at the uncomfortable expression that had appeared on the white girl's face. After being divulged of the fact by Miku last night, she had acted as if nothing had ever happened at all, something they had played along with a bit… well… sympathetically. Though they still thought she should be content.

"I…took out…" Shira's voice trailed off to a mumble.

"What?"

The extremely long-haired girl started to twirl her thumbs, the uncomfortable-ness quota overfilling. "I… took out my pads."

"Why?" Lily asked blankly.

Shira looked affronted. "…I'd rather keep that a—"

"No, no, you don't get it," Lily shook her hands, "I mean, why would you want pads at all? Your figure's great!" The busty girl said enthusiastically.

"…" Shira looked at the blonde and the brunette's chests briefly before turning away, "Yeah, right." She smiled ruefully, silently forking another piece of cake into her mouth.

"Shira-chan, I'm actually being serious here for a change so I'd rather prefer if you took me so."

The whitette sighed, "Thanks…but could we…just talk about other things?" She asked, her pride not letting her voice creep into a beg, but still close. "So, Meiko-senpai, would you like to… well, go to a wine bar together, perhaps?"

The dark auras disappeared immediately. "Drinking?" The brunette asked with surprise, "But aren't you…underage?"

Shira frowned with all the blankness of a total ignorant that could be found in the faces of security guards standing watch for an academic circle. "Yeah, so I said 'wine' bar."

"Hmm…." Meiko leaned her jaw on her hand. She was pretty sure she shouldn't go drinking with an underage…but hey, she was even younger when she had her first sake, right? Besides, it didn't seem like she was going to be the one to introduce her to drinks. "Okay. Later tonight?" Satisfied with her logic, she proposed eagerly. It had been some time since she had went to a bar.

"Hey, if you're gonna go drinking than I wanna join too." Lily joined the chat, "And what about dragging Luka-chan in?"

"Oh, so Luka-senpai would go to a bar?" Shira asked, surprised. Until now she had been thinking that the pink singer was the type to avoid those kinds of places.

"As long as it's one of those romantic ones where one can have a bit of liquor in peace." Meiko laughed bemusedly, "She hates it if a guy tries to hit on her. Hell, no one does either. Besides, those guys are _never_ good-looking."

"Ah, I see… oh, yeah!" Shira turned to the greenette, who had been silent, rather uncomfortable about discussing bars. "Do you wanna come to, Gumi?"

Gumi wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I'm underage, Shira."

"Oh, come on… stay around, Gumi-chan." Lily crooned, "Lily-nee-sama will teach you all about those things that goes on behind the light—Ack!"

"Stop talking like a pervert." Meiko grumbled, and remembered her Irish coffee that she had been only holding in her hands until now. She liked this café too, but for different reasons: this was the only one around that sold the alcohol-included drink. She licked the rim briefly for the black sugar before taking a sip. The cream went smoothly down her throat; the hot drink tickling the insides nicely, leaving a nice glow of heat just over her sternum. And they hadn't been sloppy with the base coffee either. This was the only place that made it just right.

As the older girls tried to drag Megpoid Gumi into joining them for a bar, Yukira noted that Miki had been silent until now,

"Miki-chan?" she asked, and when Miki raised her ruby eyes to meet hers, she continued. "What are you thinking?"

Miki sighed deeply. "I was just thinking about how long I'd have to work… alone." She mumbled. She had been madly busy all day, and it was not like she hadn't been working together till now either, but she had people to talk with when she was out for rest, or exchange words passing in the halls. But starting from Luka they had all left one by one, and by the fact that even Lily was out, it meant that the red girl was on her own from now.

"Well…" Yukira was meeting Miki's eyes, but it wasn't long before they grew dreamy as she thought of other pieces of music, inclining that she had drifted off to other places inside her mind, though to Miki she only seemed to have forgotten her

"_A… Ano…_ Yukira-chan?" Miki waved her hands in front of the younger whitette, "Excuse me? Yukira-chan?" Getting no response, Miki snapped her fingers right before Yukira's eyes, making the girl jump lightly with surprise. "Yukira-chan! Don't scare me like that!" She protested.

"Ah, sorry!" She stuck out her tongue briefly, "Say, Miki-chan, how long did you have to work again?" She asked worriedly.

"…A few hours more…" The redhead whimpered. A few hours more into the night with her being the only Vocaloid in the large building, filled with employees she didn't know well and certainly no one she could call a friend.

Yukira did a few minor calculations in her head, and smiled in relief, "I think… I'd be able to wait for you then."

Miki gasped, "…Really?"

"Mm-hmm. I have some songs to bring out, so I guess we could go home toge—ahhh!"

Yukira screamed in surprise as Miki tackled her into a ferocious hug,_ "Arigato! Hontouni, hontouni arigato!"_ Yukira was alarmed to see that Miki was just on the verge of crying, "Oh, thank you s-so m-m-much! I-I'll—sniff— thag you so muhi!"

"Ahaha…" The girl with bobbed hair laughed awkwardly; the girl to be her best-friend was about to cry in her arms, "It's okay, Miki-chan. I'm only going to do what I was going to do back at home." She patted Miki on the head, trying her best to avoid the ahoge that made it just a little difficult, but not impossible, allowing her to give what she thought would be the best way to calm her down. An act that had worked well on herself more than a few times… by Shira.

Miki still went on anyway, "_A-A-A-Arigato gozaimasu!"_ She looked upwards at the whitette, ruby eyes glistening with genuine wetness._ "Arigato, Yuki-chin!"_

"Y-Yuki-chin?"

"!" Miki covered her mouth with her hand, "…do you… not like it?"

It took Yukira a few seconds to answer, "N-Not really."

"…Yuki-chin?" Miki called tensely again, testing the wording in her mouth.

Yukira coughed, "Y-Yes?" Light blush in her face, she answered to her new nickname; a good acceptation as any. And really, it didn't bother her at all. She had just been surprised that someone other than Shira had called her with a nickname for her. In fact… she rather liked the closeness between people it meant.

"Wait, Yura-chan…" Shira frowned, "But I won't be able to see you home that way…"

"Don't worry, Shira. Securities are tough in the building." Meiko told her, "She'd be fine."

Shira looked like she wanted to protest a bit more; mainly the side of herself that wanted to keep her sister always next to her in anxiety, but followed her better decision over her lesser one. "Then just promise me you'll be safe, Yura-chan." She smiled softly.

"I promise." Yukira giggled. "Don't worry, Shira-nee."

Shoving the cake into her mouth, Miki stood up. "Let's go, Yuki-chin!" She called merrily to the white girl before running out, pausing to say good-byes to her senpais, "Let's go! I'll finish more quickly if I start faster!" She giggled, her mood so different from moments ago. The whitette joined her eagerly, just pausing to say her goodbyes.

Meiko chuckled, "She looked so depressed she could have sunk into earth just hours ago…"

"She hates being alone; you know that too." Lily smiled, her feminine beauty briefly being accented more than they thought possible.

The greenette smiled too… and yet her smile was one of content and not amusement.

Just now, for the first time, the Hananes had called the mansion their home.

* * *

><p><em>Poke.<em>

_Poke._

_Poke._

Luka moaned, waving a hand around her face in protest. "Don't…" she mumbled.

_Poke._ This time the finger prodded into her cheek again…and stayed there. Luka heard a giggle she thought rather cute ring from the space beside her.

"Mm…" Moaning, Luka turned her head to the other side, but the finger still followed her. "All right, all right…" She mumbled, "I'm getting up…"

The pinkette yawned, rubbing at her eyes with one hand before looking sleepily out of the blue orbs that had melted thousands of hearts over the world.

The first thing she saw was teal.

Teal? Why teal? Her four-poster was in pink. And besides, why were the covers pressing down on her like this?

And wasn't the teal rather close?

"Good afternoon, senpai~" Miku sang, her body on fours and looking down on Luka.

Luka blinked.

With a wild yell, the pinkette scrambled her way up the bed so that her upper body would be standing up right at least. "M-M-Miku-chan!" Luka stuttered, "W-What are you doing!" She said frantically, gathering the covers up to her arms, forcing Miku to sit down.

Miku raised a hand to her mouth to cover up a giggle, "I was only trying to wake you up, Luka-senpai."

Luka felt her cheeks with one hand, and as she was afraid of, she could feel warmth emanating from her skin, which meant that she was probably blushing like crazy. Miku was still staring at her curiously, and that didn't help the situation one bit.

"It was a bit of a shame, though. You were sleeping so peacefully…" Miku grinned, "Anyway, how come you've been sleeping on my bed, senpai?"

"I— I— Well, um, I—" Luka searched desperately in her head for an answer, thoughts flying in hectic speed. She knew that there must be a logical, sensible reason for her to be caught sleeping in her kouhai's bed. "Lily told me she had left a tuna in here for me!" The pinkette blurted out the first and the only thing that came to her mind.

Miku's stare turned blank. "A-And a basket of peaches too..." Luka added in a feeble voice.

"Um… okay, senpai." The younger girl said slowly. "Sure." She flashed Luka the 'I-totally-believe-you' grin.

_Idiot! I probably look like a fool to her!_

"S-So," Luka cleared her throat, "how was your day?" she attempted to turn the conversation to other directions, trying to preserve any piece of dignity she had left. Unfortunately, her severely red face degraded the effect.

Miku shrugged, letting it go. "The usual. Recorded for my new song VOiCE, took pictures for it, made some preparations for a concert coming, and I filmed a PV for my Love is War."

"…What?"

Miku cocked her head to the side, puzzled. "I recorded, took pictures, filmed a PV, and prepared for a concert. Nothing else as far as I could remember…"

"T-T—"

"Huh?"

"That's not the usual!" Luka said furiously, making Miku draw back at the unexpected outrage. "What was that stupid manager of ours thinking, overworking you like that!"

"Whoa. Relax, senpai. I'm all right—"

"You shouldn't be all right!" The pinkette claimed heatedly, starting to take out her phone.

"But I'm really fine, Luka-senpai! It's only five o'clock now!" Miku tried to soothe the angry diva.

"FIVE!" Luka yelled. "He made you work from seven to— w-wait, five?" her voice faltered, "That can't be." _How long have I been sleeping?_

Miku pointed to an alarm clock on her bed-table. "It's five, all right." Miku smiled, "But senpai?"

Luka, still unbelieving that she had been sleeping like a rock to this hour, took a moment to answer. "Huh?"

The tealette giggled. "I'm glad you care about me."

Luka's fading blush returned again, "Y-You're welcome." She managed to make the suitable response. _What is wrong with me? _She wondered once more, feeling her rapid heartbeat.

Miku giggled, and said something she couldn't quite catch. "What?" the pinkette asked.

"Love is War." The tealette repeated, looking into Luka's sapphire blue eyes with a light spark in her turquoise orbs. "Do you think it really is?"

Luka considered for a moment, suddenly aware of the fact that although she had drawn back, Miku was still in the same stance as before.

"Well, I think it _could_ become a war…" Luka said hesitantly, choosing her words with care. "But I don't think it _should_ be."

Miku rested her jaw on her hand. "Really?" she said, keeping eye contact.

Luka gulped. "Yes." She said nervously, and examined the piano to avoid the inquiring teal orbs. Surprisingly, it was a brand she recognized, for the very same thing had been once hers'.

"I," Miku's voice sounded from somewhere surprisingly close, "think it is."

Luka looked up and found the tealette's eyes barely inches away from her own.

Miku continued, raising her hip to lean closer. "In a war, everything is right, everything fair, everything allowed…"

Luka's breathing accelerated, unable to break away from Miku's mesmerizing turquoise orbs that she had never gotten the chance to examine up close like this until now. She was hyper aware of the feeling of Miku's body over her own, the warm touch of her breathing on her lips.

"As long as you get what you want." Miku whispered, looking at Luka under a hooded gaze.

Inch by inch, slower than Luka thought possible of her, the tealette's lips began to move closer to her own. Miku's eyes started to close so slowly, half-hiding the breathtaking teal eyes.

Thoughts, negation, denials and arguments flew in Luka's head in frantic speed, all of them rendered meaningless by the sight of Miku, drawing ever closer her to her than she had ever thought she would.

"I want you."

Luka stopped trying to break away. It was pointless. She sat utterly still save for her breathing accelerating by the second. Her eyelids felt unbearably heavy, as if she was still suffering from exhaustion or something of its complete opposite. She clenched her eyes shut—

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Kagamine Rin screamed as she fell straight past the window to Luka's room. Both girls jumped, the trance broken more simply than either of them had thought it would.

"Onee-chan! I'll save you!" Len cried, stretching out his arm to catch his twin.

A small rock struck him straight on his temple. The blonde boy staggered backwards, causing Rin to fall on his back rather than in his arms as had been his original plan.

"If thee were to put thy hands on my swords again, that shalt be thy ends!" Gakupo yelled before slamming the window to his room shut.

"Oh, gee." Rin rubbed her head. "That didn't hurt as much as I thought it would… hmm?"

For the first time, Rin noticed the twitching figure of her twin under her. "Onee-…chan." Len gasped, "Y-you're safe…" the blonde dropped in a dead faint.

"Len-chan? What the hell are ya doing, lying face flat on the ground?" Rin poked him with a branch she had picked up. Len twitched once, then stayed still. "Len-chan? Hey, Len-chan?"

Rin frowned. "…Len-chan?"

Miku's phone hummed, breaking the highly uncomfortable atmosphere. The tealette pulled it out from her pocket and read the message, making Luka relax.

_Miku-nee! Yukira-chan said that she'd stay with me till I get home! o Yay~~~! No walking the hall alone at night! Have a nice day, Miku-nee! ^o^_

"Miki-chan says that Yukira-chan has offered to stay with her." Miku told the pinkette with mild surprise.

"A-And what did she say to it?" Luka said, letting out a lungful of air. She kept her gaze strictly off to the side.

Miku shrugged. Luka caught the gesture from the corner of her eyes, "I guess she would've accepted. You know how Miki-chan hates being alone. And apparently, she'd have to stay real late today."

"They've became friends very quickly." She commented pretending nonchalance, trying to diverse Miku from...from what had almost happened.

Or was it what she wanted to happen?

"Hmm… yes. I'd say that." She said. "But they're the same age. Miki-chan only had older and younger people to hang out with until now. I think it's quite natural," Miku started counting on her fingers, "the twins are fourteen, Miki-chan and Yukira-chan are fifteen, me, Gumi-chan, Shira-chan and Iroha-chan are seventeen, you and Lily-senpai are twenty,"—she opened her left hand again—"Meiko-senpai is twenty-one, Kaito-nii, Gakupo-senpai are both twenty-two. And…" Miku looked up from her hands, "do you think we should include our manager?"

"I… don't know that. He's the manager… not the singer… but he's… well he's really strange…" Was she rambling? Yes, she knew she was rambling. She was most definitely rambling.

"Luka-nee? None of us are in a place to really judge whether others are norm or not, you know."

Luka put a hand to her mouth as a giggle broke out. Miku was right. Not even considering their personal traits, their wealth and fame alone pushed them far beyond the boundary of what passed for 'normal'. Occasionally, she would think about the life she had before she became the CV03 with mild longing, then decide that this one, in which she could sing, was better.

"…Do it again."

"Huh?" Luka started.

"Do it again, Luka-senpai." Miku leaned in, "I never saw you giggle before."

Oh.

"M-Miku, it's not like I can giggle at will or something." Luka's heart fluttered. Why couldn't she look away from Miku's teal eyes? It was impossible to twitch a muscle. She never felt so helpless, so without control as when she was with this girl.

"Too bad. You were so pretty." Miku smiled. Luka felt a not unpleasant jolt run down her spine.

Luka tried to divert Miku's attention away. "B-But it's been just three days since they met, right? Isn't that a bit too soon for friendship like that?"

"C'mon, senpai. We actually live together. Besides, how long did it take you to become friends with Lily-senpai? It took me a day to become best friends with Gumi-chan. And as I just said, I bet Miki's been waiting for a friend." Miku shrugged and shook her head at the same time. "But senpai, could you stop trying to direct my attention elsewhere?"

Miku smiled as Luka opened her mouth, only to close it shut and turn away blushing. "So, how was your day? Anything memorable?"

Luka examined her blue-polished fingernails, since her examination with the wallpaper had been thoroughly completed. Miku was sitting on the bed just in front of her, and that was just too close for comfort in her opinion. "Nothing much. I recorded a song and that was just about it." Luka flipped her hand on its back, "It's name is—"

Luka looked up, and without hesitation Miku took the opportunity to press their lips together, the fading orange sunlight enveloping them in its light.

Thoughts disappeared, leaving nothing but sensations. Everything was wiped clean from Luka's mind. Everything but the feel of Miku's lips against her own, the same scent of sweet pine of hers, and her closed teal eyes. Each feeling intensified to the point of overloading her heart. Inside her something flared, and instead of going out it seemed to steel itself in her; unbidden and waiting.

_So… warm._

No, not warm.

Hot.

Hotter than anything else she had felt.

Miku slowly drew her lips back. The pinkette was completely still. Not moving, not even breathing as far as Miku could see.

The younger diva smiled sweetly. "What's the song's name?" She asked, as if nothing happened.

Luka answered automatically. Her mind was refusing to form any coherent thoughts, let alone a full sentence. All feeling had vanished, save for the burning imprint of the tealette's mark on her lips.

So she answered, without thinking how fitting it was in the situation, nor of the consequences it may bring forth. Her mind simply snatched the answer that had been just on the tip of her tongue before Miku had so effectively silenced her.

"…One More Kiss."

The twin-tailed girl's smile brightened. "You asked for it."

Miku kissed her again.

* * *

><p><strong>To the reviewers:<strong>

**FeeptheNinja: ***has a big grin on the face* Thank you so much for the compliment! ^w^ You've managed to cheer me up when I was stuck revising... thank you again and again! And I'm sure your stories must be great too! If only you had an account...

**IdrewAcow: **...What can I say, my friend? I owe you so, so much... for everything... you had always got me up whenever I was down, and helped me pull through whenever I was stuck. Thank you... thank you ^/^

**Annet: **Well... I can take that as a compliment, right? *halfway confused but happy anyway* As for the MxL storyline... well, I will only write what I want. That's my liberty as a fanfiction author. Thankies for the review :D

**The next chapter... will be done, though I can make no promises. But there's absolutely NO WAY I'd give up!**


	5. The Embedded Blue

**Yay! I finally managed to get the fifth chapter done~ *jumps up and down in happiness***

**And of course, it had been another two months since the last upload *slam head in the wall***

***sigh* Please bear with me on that... I'm a student. A high school student. What do you expect from me! *throw a hysteric tantrum***

**...Here's the story, my dear readers.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: The Embedded Blue<p>

"Miku… loves… me?" She tested the sound of the sentence, the words arranged in an order she had never dreamed of.

She couldn't help herself from touching her lips, once more feeling flames press down on her. The tealette had told her that she wanted her, had even gone as far as to… as to… she just couldn't say the word out loud. She would start to choke from the 'Ki'.

But her eyes…had that been those when looking at the person one loved? She had no experience and couldn't have told, but even if she could, all she could remember of that moment was in sketchy, vague details.

She had dressed herself in her favorite pink pajamas in preparation for the night, and yet she knew that sleep wasn't to come anytime soon. Luka mouthed the girl's name, her voice sounding insignificantly small in her own room.

"Miku." She spoke aloud again, this time just to hear the sound of the tealette's name.

She dropped her head, hugging her knees to herself on her large bed. Her head reeled, and she felt as if she would burst from overloading if this went on. Her mind felt unbearably full and cluttered with thoughts that argued with each other, and yet none made sense if she tried to listen to one and no more.

Miku was the problem. Miku was why she was so unbearably bewildered, and her heart thrummed in her chest like this.

The lights were off save for one light lamp beside her, and its glow touched her skin as she brought her fingertips to her lips, tracing the outline and trying to remember the caress given to her, making a reminisce of fire run over her skin. She could remember almost none of the moment, yes, but the burn had left its impression on her.

Clearly.

Her lips had been more scorching than fire, and yet brushed against her lips so tenderly, pressing the sensitive skins to each other. It had tickled… but that had been only the very tip of the iceberg. She knew with instinct there were other sensations that had been not reached, not out of hand. At that short but vivid flash, her heart began to pound, and heat immediately rushed to her face, coloring the smooth skin of her cheeks. She let out her breath in a way that was between a sigh and a gasp, leaning her body on the bedpost of her own pink bed.

It had been a 'soft' kiss. Though her knowledge on such subjects stretched only so far, she knew what a 'deep' kiss was. And yet, however it had been, she had been obsessed over it for the entire day, so much that she even declined to go for a drink with Lily, knowing that the blonde would definitely see through her best friend.

No, it would not have taken a best friend to do so. She had spent the rest of the day—as much of it had been left after she could begin to think coherently anyway—in her room, lying that she had already eaten dinner out.

The pinkette's fingers once again landed on her lips; minute moisture gathered on the surface as she breathed out. Ocean-blue eyes, the deepest blue among all in the mansion, stared outwards as she tried to listen to her heart.

She heard nothing but clutters of muted voices.

Luka lowered her head even lower, feeling her thigh meet with her cheeks through the fabric of her pink pajamas.

Coward.

She wrapped her arms against her knees, secluding herself farther from the world. Yes…that was what she was. A coward. One that had refused to even acknowledge the fear let alone what it was hiding. Letting it tell her soft lies as it shoved everything into the back of her consciousness, silencing words of protest.

But even now she didn't want to delve in any more than the barrier of fear her mind had cast around her heart, desperately wanting to ignore whichever chest it may find. Knowing of what she felt didn't save her from it; and she was terrified of what this signified. The voices in her heart had been muted, but she also knew the culprit behind it.

What was she hiding from herself?

She didn't want to know; if she hid it away, it was for a reason.

Luka was torn, both wishing to be desperately freed from this sense of insecurity and incoherency; emotions she had been particularly weak against, but the same Luka didn't want to find out the reasons that caused it.

Luka could finally understand the minds of people suspected of mortal diseases, but who refused medics. But didn't she also know what happened to them in the end? What would happen if she went on like this? She wouldn't die, but a dark thought loomed over her, seemingly staying there of its own accord and answering the question:

Maybe something else than her body would die.

Self-disgust swarmed over her, creeping up her skin like a horde of winged insects. She wanted to cry over at this own pathetic self. Miku wouldn't have felt like this. If it had been Miku, she would have got something done the moment she felt the tiniest unease, because she was a whole lot braver than someone like herself—able of doing nothing over something that was tearing her in half.

Just see her: never turning back, never looking back, always shining brilliantly on stage, and never hiding whatever she had…that was her. That was Hatsune Miku.

That was the Miku she admired.

She felt tears threaten as the voices in her tried to grow louder, forcing away the buffs her mind had constructed and her reason had conveniently overlooked.

She was trapped in a cage she had constructed herself.

Luka snapped.

* * *

><p>Lily hummed as she walked down the corridor, staggering lightly and with flush in her cheeks; she just happened to be the kind of person who's face turned red when alcohol was in her bloodstream. It had been some time since Masuda Lily had got to feel flushed over simple cute embarrassment. Maybe over something more… mature, perhaps.<p>

Heh.

Imagine whatever you want, ya pervs; she wasn't gonna elaborate on the point.

Her icy blue eyes had both tinge of a mischievous twinkle and drunken glazed-ness, the former one imbedded within these particular pair of blue and the latter just for this particular night. She hadn't drunk much, just enough to feel tipsy and giddy, leaving her companions back at the bar after few shots of Irish with rocks, Meiko particularly displeased since as far as she knew, no one else could really drink. She expected the brunette to return with Shira and Gumi in each of her arms; yelling for someone to come and help her as she had only made each down just one, singular bottle of 17-year-old cognacs before they passed out.

Whoa, that would be actually quite fun…

As for why she had returned early after bothering to go out? Simple. Luka disliked drunks.

The blonde weaved her way to the said pinkette's room, barging inside as if she had every right. "Hey~ Lu~kya—" She called cheerfully with a broad, drunk grin. Hell, maybe the shots had been a bit stronger than she had thought?

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH H!"

Lily got blasted backward into the wall as Luka screamed in full force; real FULL force, and for the CV03 that meant quite a lot. Veins stood out on her temple, her eyes were clenched shut and fingernails would have whitened on her grip on the pink sheets had it not been for her pink nail-polish. Lily saw her inhale again, sucking the air into her crumpled lungs to build up another scream.

"YYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !"

The long-haired pinkette sat panting on her bed with sweat trickling down the side of her face, her body leaning forward with the force of her cry.

She sighed with relief. Her mind felt less hazy after letting off some steam and more like in control again; more in charge. She fell back to her bed-post with some tension gone. Such things had such effect on her when she was 'over-thinking' as Lily had so often put it.

Luka also realized that the said blonde was on her knees with her hands folded in front of her.

"…Lil-chan?"

"I'm so sorry Luka I don't know what I'm supposed to be sorry for but I'm still so sorry for whatever made—"

"S-Sorry? For what?"

"Well that's sorta the problem…?" Lily looked up hopefully, hands still folded in a prayer-like gesture. "Did you find out that I was the one who took your share of tuna three days ago?"

"…no."

Lily's face fell. "You... realized that I still haven't returned your favorite manga?"

"Not yet…"

"Then the mp3 player? The bath towel? The dress? The pen?"

"None till now…"

"…" Lily racked her brains for what might have got Luka angry at her. "'Cause I left you without drying your hair even though you were all sleepy so it was all feral and coiled the next morning on Tuesday?"

"…"

"I returned those bras I took— borrowed! It was too large for me in the first place so I didn't even get to put them on!"

Luka's face started to go in a peculiar shade of red that was quite different from the one she had had when thinking about Miku.

"I got it! It's because I dropped your favorite book in the bath and never told you about it!" Lily laughed jubilantly, a sunny corona surrounding the area around her face. "Oh, c'mon… Lily punched her playfully on the arm, "I'll buy you a new one tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Y… You…"

"Don' worry, Lukya. And oh, I'll get the jacket repaired too; guess you'd need it these days with weather getting cold and stuff."

"You…" From that point the pinkette's words were lost in a mumble.

"It's alright, Lukya," The blonde came over to Luka and sat down in front of her in the unlady-like way with her legs spread apart, nodding as if she understood everything.

"You… you…" Luka's head started to rise slowly, and the blonde could see her both teary-slash-angry eyes. She could forgive her for the pen, the jacket that had been her favorite, and even the book, another work of S. K. which had been more of a favorite she treasured. But some offenses just went past the line.

"You took my… _tuna_."

"Yes… but the circumstances demanded the action, I'm afraid." Lily said gravely, looking toward Someplace Far Away with a longing look. "It had all been for greater good… alas." Luka didn't miss how the distance between the blonde and the door was closing.

"Well, I'm so sorry to have bothered you," Lily said formally, saluting the pinkette with a formal bow to go with. "My, the hour runth late, does it not? I really must leavuuuuuaaaAAAAAAAHHH!"

Luka chucked the first thing that had came to her hand: a mug that had contained a nice hot chocolate she had drunk to sleep last night. The blonde threw her head sharply backwards, nimbly catching the cup by outstretching an arm and moving with innate grace no one would have known she had. "My, Luka-chan! You shouldn't throw things you like— OOF!"

Lily doubled over, clutching at her lower abdomen. The alarm clock bounced of the smooth surface and returned smartly to Luka's hand. "I…surrender." She choked out.

Luka huffed and turned her eyes away, pouting to the general direction of her computer.

Lily peeked upwards, supposed to be sorry for what she had done, but a sly smile was creeping its way up her lips.

"I'll treat you to sushi next time we go out, 'kay?" Lily climbed up to the bed and lied down comfortably next to Luka, folding her hands behind her head. She shifted her eyes just little to the side to see Luka quickly wipe away a small trickle of saliva.

_I got ya, Luka._

Lily was amused to see that Luka had been blushing again when she had rubbed away that little trickle. Really, Lukya was such an easy blusher… but hey, wasn't that one of her charms? "You're jus' too cute for your own sake, you know?"

"Lily… I'm twenty; not sixteen… I can't be cute."_ If I ever were, Lily._

"And that, Luka, is where you're wrong."

Luka turned to sigh in the direction, "Really, Lil-chan…" and at the use of the nickname Lily knew she had been forgiven, "if I was cute then I'd have known— what do you think you're doing!"

Lily blinked in the middle of the process of lifting her t-shirt over her head. "Change into something more comfortable. I can't go to sleep wearing jeans, can I?" She knew that there were some clothes of Luka's that fit her well enough, her jacket had been already took off and thrown on the floor. She raised one blonde eyebrow in question.

"Don't…do that." Luka said in a small voice, blushing again. "Not in front of me."

"But…" Lily's arms were still awkwardly over her head and revealing her navel. "You've never minded me changing clothes."

"I… just… just… don't do it." Luka said lamely. For some reason… she didn't want to look at another girl's body, even if it was her friend's. A deep part of her already suspected of the truth, and was likewise suppressed. "Please…" She felt compelled to add; this was odd and she knew it.

"Luka, be reasonable." Lily's eyes showed Luka a mix of confusion, doubt, mild disbelief… but she thanked her for not seeing ridicule. "I can't sleep wearing these, can I? I haven't asked you to strip, just me; and whatever I may be I'm not an exhibitionist."

"…just… please."

"Please…"

Lily knew this was no joke. As sudden and unexpected as it was, the atmosphere now didn't call for one, and slowly Lily lowered her clothes back. The air had lost its feeling of lightness that had been draped over, replaced with something else that felt, not necessarily awkward, but heavier.

"…Thank you." Luka whispered. And in the icy-blue depths she saw feelings Lily seldom displayed, if ever.

Lily hugged her. No rational reasons sequenced it: neither with her previous actions, nor with the conversation just had. She did it just because all the matters of jokes and playing aside, Luka needed comfort. Comfort against whatever that had made her like this. And she knew that it had been the right choice, knowing by the fact that Luka's arms; at first rigid with what she felt as more fear—yes, fear for something Lily did not know—relax into her sides, embracing her back. She let her; pressing their feminine bodies to each other, as they had so often done.

_What is it, Luka? What is it that made you scared? Would you tell me? Would you let yourself tell you? I admire how you are not who I am not, but sometimes you bind yourself; and the knots are done too tightly._ "Do you want me to sleep with you?"

"…No." Luka said in an even smaller voice, trembling along boundaries of a whisper. "I'm sorry."

_Please…understand me. I don't know what I have…is this something I should be proud of like her?_

_Should I hide? Should I reveal? Are my suspicions true in the first place? What do I suspect in the first place? I'm trapped, Lil-chan. There are too many chains wrapped around me and I don't know if I can find the place where the start and end meet._

Lily did. As she had always done. "_Oyasumi_, Luka."

_"…Oyasumi nasai."_ The pinkette said back as the blonde left her room. Lily had not smiled at her, because she didn't need a smile. She didn't try to encourage her, because that would only make her feel worse. She left without the slightest hint that she had been there, as if she had had no business in the first place…as Luka wanted her to. As she needed her to. She could not bear the thought of consulting to another.

Thank you… Luka thought silently. But she felt regret rising on her. Without Lily, the voices began to return. Voices that yammered across the fields of her mind, scratching the soft surface and digging nails into wherever they could find. She felt as if multiple beings were locked inside her body, each trying to rip out of her in a different way and not caring about how. The worst was that they couldn't; they only hurt her again and again and again inside her. This was physical; this was pain so real she expected to see knives to rip out.

Such confusion had caused headaches for her, but never yet in her heart. And she wasn't sure if she preferred it in her head. There, the pain could be abated by rest and silence, perhaps even sleep.

This one in her heart fed on silence and hacked away sleep.

She felt like screaming again. But she knew that this time it wouldn't go away that easily. Right now she felt more like crying, again; feeling that simultaneous hotness and dryness in her eyes just before she did. Ocean blue blurred as a layer of moisture gathered behind.

She expected to start sobbing when she did start; but she only wept, tears sliding down in a stream down her cheeks, falling from her chin and making dark circles on the fabric of her pajama.

_Lily I wish I hadn't sent you away just now…but I was and am scared…what if, when I saw you like that or you got too close to me…_

Luka knew far less on affairs of physical love then Lily did; even less than little Rin, something she did not know but would not surprise her. But she knew how it was supposed to be like. What if she had got… excited by a girl? That would have topped everything off… and in such a straight-forward way she wouldn't have been able to handle.

The pinkette slowly lowered herself inside her bed; not bothering to try to stop the tears for she knew it was pointless, not trying to sleep since she knew she couldn't. She needed warmth; and if a person couldn't give her then she'd make do with the covers. She would still be alone, but it'd be better than both alone and cold. She wrapped the sheets around her tightly like a cocoon, wanting to be buried in it, wishing for something thicker in the weather that steadily got colder; signaling the start of winter.

_Miku what do you want from me? What do I want from you? All I need to do is take a step, but that single step's just so hard to take. I don't know if I would ever be able to take it at all by myself, but who can I ask for help?_

Wearily… she opened one teary eye halfway, seeing that Lily's jacket was still on the floor not far from where she was; she was quite sure she could get it within a hand's reach. Maybe… her scent would still be left on it; sharp lemon that hid sweet fragrance. Wetness still trickling down her cheeks and dampening the pillow, she reached her hand for it, pulling the cloth to herself, feeling so weak; weak and ashamed for attempting to rely on something like her friend's scent. She pressed the fabric to her face and breathed in; trying to feel the confidence Lily always carried with and always had enough to share.

The jacket did have her smell clinging to the surface…but it was too weak and getting weaker by the moment, barely discernible from natural smell of fabric. Her tears thickened in humiliation of the situation. She had, without anything else to, tried to rely, rely desperately, and then was denied of it. She let the jacket drop from her hand to the floor, freely sobbing now, her eyes clenching shut to force out the tears. She did not wipe them away but let them soak her pillow. She didn't care if it got damp; she couldn't care of anything else then trying to keep herself—her being—from being unraveled.

Deprived of friend and deprived of any other form of comfort, Luka resorted to the last thing she could think of: her memories. She tried to bring back the kiss given to her by the tealette in what seemed like an eternity ago, though just earlier today. Hoping against hope that it would help her, not caring about what she was hoping for, just needing some way, any way to get out of this horrible confusion.

She had expected the memory to have been dulled with time, or not come at all. Yet at her wish, the locked seal of time flowered immediately; and she once again experienced the scene in front of her more vivid than any other form of reproduction could ever hope to match, one her mind had stored away like a precious gem.

She saw her as the tealette's body was over her. Saw her eyelids close to hide the mesmerizing teal of her eyes. She could have counted her individual teal strands of her hair if she wished so. She could remember…everything. Everything she had felt, every thought she had had. Everything she heard, touched, saw, scented and tasted… it was as if she had gone back in time and it had happened again.

And at last she felt their lips sear in the kiss. Drowning in Miku's scent and debilitated by her touch, her soprano voice still ringing in her ears, sight full of the teal circle of Miku's eyes, her smaller body over her, touching between layers of clothing, and despite being a soft kiss… a flair of deeper sweetness on her tongue, and another even deeper sense, past boundaries of physical one, inside her heart.

The memory locked her into its boundaries and she let herself be taken as a willing prisoner.

Her tears stopped.

Megurine Luka slept, taking her memory to the territory of dreams, clutching and not letting go.

_Miku…_ was her last thought before she lost herself in bliss of unconsciousness,

_Thank you…_

* * *

><p>Masuda Lily was Luka's best friend. They had first met in…when had it been? The effects of both alcohol and worry for the pinkette prevented her from the specific date. Whatever; all she needed was that it had been very long; even longer than reality because this sense of time existed in realms of memories, where everything had been robbed of clock's binds and present merging with past was the rules of the universe.<p>

It was enough time for her to know that the reason Luka asked her to not strip was related to the reason Luka had screamed in the first place. She had known from the very moment she heard the yell that it had been the pinkette's scream of near-panic. Rules got broken…Luka began to panic. Realizing that, she had tried to turn her attention away from whatever it had been. She was also quite sure she had been doing well at first… But apparently she must have screwed up somewhere. And that frustrated her more than anything.

She stood silently and wordlessly with her back pressed to the door to Luka's room, biting her lip when Luka began to cry, her icy cool blue eyes hardening to the sound. It was only after her tears abated; abated as if they had been simply cut off, Lily began to relax, and when she caught the sound of gentle breathing through the wood with her sharp ears, her body unclenched, and she walked back to her own room, wondering with all her heart…what it had been.

For Luka to panic was not common, but expected. For her to begin crying, and unable to overcome herself—for in all honesty she knew there was only Luka herself to blame for her own condition— for so long…that she had never seen before. And Lily knew Luka better than anyone else in the mansion.

_Whatever happens, Luka. Whatever happens…_

_I'll always be here for you._

* * *

><p>"And then he said he couldn't let me sing my own song…" Yukira growled. In the late hour, her eyes looked sleepy, but had a quality of acuteness in its topaz depth.<p>

Miki yawned and nodded. Thanks to Yuki-chin, she had managed to finish her work within the day.

She knew that without her, she would have tried to have put things off even though the wiser part of her mind knew better. Singing was fine. But taking cute poses for pictures and acting for PVs, interviews…those were the sides of her work she didn't like much. At least, Yukira seemed to be able to emphasize with her. "Why?" Speaking in mid-yawn, it came out something more like waaa~?

Yukira seemed to have understood though, "He said it didn't fit my image." Her voice was icy, and for a brief moment Miki wondered if the only sisters in the Vocaloids would have a same way of being angry. She also decided instantly that she didn't want to see her angry in that case.

"Who said my image was going to be 'loli' and 'kawaii' and 'moe'?" She continued, voice growing increasingly frigid, in contrast to her usual… well… _kawaii_ way of speaking. But she had been writing songs to just now, and it seems that the effect has not worn off yet.

"What is the title, Yuki-chin?" Miki easily took Yukira's hand in her own, hoping the gesture would help her 'cool down', so to speak. She took a gulp from a can of coffee with her other hand, no longer needing caffeine but awkward with throwing it away half-finished.

Yukira sighed, accepting her hand. Miki could feel the air around her change. "Eat Me."

_Pffffft,_ Miki sprayed out the coffee in miniature particles that caught the light, disassembled it and created a small rainbow. It glittered quite prettily over their head before vanishing.

"Miki-chan? Are you alright?" Yukira said worriedly, the grip on her hand tightening.

Miki slowly inspected her new friend: white hair that curved toward her face, catching the light and sparkling, large innocent topaz eyes, pale skin, angelic face, genuine confused expression. She had decided to wear light ivory jacket, yellow shirt, denim and white low-heels that day.

I doubt the 'loli', but 'kawaii' and 'moe'. And throw in 'innocent' and 'adorable' too.

Miki vaguely wondered if she should talk about working out a new image.

"Miki-chan?"

"It's nothing," Miki smiled, "I'm just surprised at the name…"

Yukira's face colored, gripping onto a clear file full of what Miki only now realized to be manuscript papers, "Even I…don't know what I write…"_ Eat Me, RIP=RELEASE, Uninstall, Romeo to Cinderella…_ She wanted to run away as she was reminded of the last one she had written that day.

Miki's smile grew softer, "It's alright…I don't think you do it deliberately."

"I love writing…" Yukira winced, "But sometimes..." She trailed off.

Miki didn't know what to make out of that at all. "W-Well, Yuki-chin," She checked her watch, turning her wrist inwards. The numbers read 11, with the minute hand somewhere further away. "Do you want to get cakes?"

Yukira tightened her hold on Miki's hand, enjoying the warmth. She herself had always suffered from cold hands in winter, and was delighted to find Miki's warm, enough to lend her some. "I want strawberry flavored…"

Miki giggled, unconsciously leaning to the whitette's direction, "Then I want cherry." She said in a small voice, the sleepiness gone.

* * *

><p>What would have been the best for Luka to do? That is something no one may tell the true answer, and the individual lights illuminating the Vocaloids would each have had different solutions to it. Perhaps they would have suited the pink as well. Perhaps they would have not.<p>

And yet, what Luka had really done, is simpler, to both answer and ask.

She avoided Miku.

But no one can blame her, for it was the only thing she could do.

And yet even as she did, shoving the confusion into back of her mind once again, time passed, with all its stealth and inexorableness.

.

_Let me open your throat right now,_

_I want to make you all mine…_ The pinkette cried out her wish to the world. She moved away from the mike then, her deep blue eyes looking at her own reflection on the glass, blue sparked with pale electrical energy. She looked vibrant, full of life and cold energy.

And desperation. Hollow desperation. The song still had its full grip on her, a cold silent hand wrapped around her heart.

The rhythmical, sharp beats carried on for a few more moments, and then faded away with a dull note from the piano. Luka stayed silent; any noise caught on the mike now would mean only more work for the producers, who were already busy enough in her opinion.

The speaker above the reflective glass crackled. "…that was amazing." The voice spoke breathlessly, a voice she recognized as her—and all of the Vocaloid's—manager. "You can come out now, Luka-nee. I'm telling you: this one will be a bigger hit then your! Own! Double Lariat! He left off laughing wildly, probably to eccentrically badger their producers into finishing the various jobs for the release of the song in record speed. Again.

Luka smiled at the thought, then opened the door to the small recording room by a crack. Her sapphire blue eyes scanned the hallway, making sure there was no one outside. She sighed in relief, grabbing a stack of papers lying by the door before hurriedly stepping outside._ That girl's a genius…_ she thought, marveling over the beauty of the song she held in her hands; a song that had been trapped in paper until now.

_RIP=RELEASE,_ the title said in proud, sharp strokes of pen in pink ink that matched her hair.

Luka felt a smile appearing on her face. She knew this one would be a hit, an amazing hit. Her pace slowed down when the hallway continued to be empty, save for random workers of the industry she greeted politely as they passed. She paused to look into another recording room on her way, which was being dominated by Gumi…and a certain tealette. She immediately pressed her back to the wall so that she could be right next to the glass.

Run or hide?

A quick peek into the room told her that the song was reaching its climax, judging by the singers' expressions of ecstasy. That gave her minutes at most. Run, Luka thought to herself. She peeked up her pace, jogging to the main entrance of the massive building. She paused with her hand on the large glass door, throwing glances backwards and sideways to ensure she was still alone.

She was. Good.

Luka let out a relieved sigh. And for the first time, realized she could hear other sounds then her own rushed breathing:

Rain.

The pinkette looked up, and her eyes confirmed what her ears had caught first. Being inside the building had robbed her from sounds coming from outside, and for someone who neither read newspapers nor watched the TV often; the weather could still be a surprising phenomenon. What was she supposed to do now? If she walked to the mansion again…the pinkette mentally shuddered, remembering what had happened a week ago, she'd catch a cold or worse if she walked that in the rain...and…

She looked down at the sheets she held in her hand. She didn't want to damage it, even though she knew it had already been copied and preserved on computer. She wanted to preserve the handwritten manuscript, which was an art by itself. The letters were sharp, cool, and perfect. In better condition than she had ever imagined a human hand could produce. There was no sign of revision or correction, or even slightest differences of lengths of individual notes. It was as if the white haired girl had stamped them instead of drawing them.

Before she could decide, however, the door opened from the outside. She froze upon seeing the person, who was holding an umbrella to save herself from the merciless cold water. A limousine was parked just a few feet away.

"Senpai…" Miku said hesitantly, "can I offer you a ride?" A lightning cracked, one barely noticed. The tealette's melodious voice had captured her. Luka could only stare dazedly into her turquoise eyes, a sight she'd been denying herself for days.

"…please?" Miku whispered sadly when Luka remained silent, mistaking the reason. Her eyes were downcast.

Slowly, and without speaking, Luka took a step to get inside the protective shelter of Miku's teal umbrella. She could feel her relaxing considerably when she did, whilst she awkwardly distanced herself as far as she could from the tealette as possible. Miku noticed, but said nothing.

The walk to the car was short but intimidate. The pouring rain made them feel as if they were secluded from the world in a place where they were alone. And as much as she tried, there was a limit to the distance Luka could put in between due to the small space, not to mention that she was still trying her best to not get the sheet music wet.

Once they were in the warm, dry interior of the car, Miku offered her a towel to dry herself. Luka accepted gracefully. Her left side had got wet in her effort to be apart from the teal girl.

"Do you… want something to drink?" Miku offered again.

This time she declined politely.

"Senpai… I…" Miku said after a few minutes of heavy silence. "I…want to apologize."

"A-Apologize?"

"Yes." Miku took a deep breath. "F-For what happened a week ago." Luka saw that Miku was actually blushing, reducing her ability to make a coherent reaction and only allowing her to stare in shock.

Miku continued, "I-I'm sorry I s-s-stole your…your lips." There. She said it. "I-It was wrong of me. D-Do you think you can forgive me?" she asked timidly.

"I don't like the way you've been avoiding me." Miku added, biting on her lip.

"I-I wasn't avoiding you." Luka replied. Miku's eyes looked into Luka's. 'Please don't lie to me, senpai' her eyes told the pinkette, 'It hurts enough as it already is'

Luka looked down in shame. "…I guess I have." She admitted, mumbling her words downwards.

"I… I've liked how we were starting to be friends after being sorta…apart ever since I've became a Vocaloid. And I pushed you away by acting so stupidly." Miku mumbled, a note of self-disgust traceable in the sound. "I've missed you."

Luka's heart began to beat just a bit faster. "I've missed you too."

"So…do you think you can…" Miku struggled. God, why was this so difficult? She was only saying sorry, for heaven's sake. "Forgive… me?"

Instead of making a reply right away, Luka asked her the question that had been bothering her for the last seven days. The very first she had not been able to think of it; wrapped up in her own world, but in the rest, when she could finally sort herself to a degree… she wondered what it meant…

"Why did you k-k-ki" she took a deep breath, blushing heavily, "Ki— do that in first place?"

What had it meant for Miku?

Miku wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling her feet up on the seat to do so, briefly reminding Luka of the painful night a week ago. "…I wanted to know how your lips felt like." Miku mumbled, "You're so pretty… so I just couldn't resist." Miku peeked one glance before immediately turning away, her face exploding with heat.

"S-So what you said to me was…?"

Miku continued to keep her eyes of to the side, but Luka thought she saw something flash in there nonetheless, one she couldn't lay a finger on. "I-I really did mean what I said about wanting you, but just your lips. I know you're straight, I wouldn't have tried something like that on a straight girl but…" she gulped, "you are really pretty, senpai…"

"You don't have any…serious thoughts for me?"

"…No."

Her body simultaneously became unbearably hot and cold, but Luka tried her best to hide. "G-Good."

She said, "I-I'd never be able to return your feelings even if you did, so…" She trailed off, and without her permission her fingers began to twirl themselves against each other, a nervous habit as old as herself.

Without speaking, Miku continued to look at Luka, as if waiting. "W-What is it?" Luka asked, her voice coming out guiltily. "You still haven't forgiven me, senpai…" Miku shook her head sadly, "That was the whole point with the car ride…"

"Oh." Luka blinked. "Well, I…accept your apology, Miku." Her words came out sounding more formal than she had intended to.

As if a switch had been pressed, Miku immediately turned back to her usual self. "Thanks, senpai!" She chirped happily, beginning to rummage around in the small refrigerator by her side. "Are you sure you don't want something to drink? I've got peach juice here too. And some other soft drinks if you're interested." She shoved a can to Luka's hands before she could say anything, taking a soda for herself. "Cheers—senpai? Are you alright?"

Luka couldn't answer, she was laughing too hard for that. "Mou…" Miku pouted, "Senpai? Are you really okay?" Miku asked again when Luka fell to her side, clutching to her stomach in a fit of giggles.

Miku very pointedly directed her eyes upward and put a finger to her cheek. "Hmmm… maybe another kiss would do the trick."

It worked. Luka sat up immediately, making Miku break out in a giggle. "Kidding, senpai."

Luka huffed, taking a gulp from the can she had in her hand. The drink was sweet and cool, and had better effect of helping her relax then something warm in her present state. "…I thought you wouldn't try such things on straight girls?" In her annoyance, Luka managed to keep eye contact.

"Well, um… sorry?" Miku stuck out her tongue briefly in a bashful expression Luka didn't trust at all.

Luka sighed. "So you never had any feelings for me, but wanted to kiss a pretty girl so you threw fancy lines. Did I get that right?"

"But senpai!" Miku protested, "It sounds like I'm some sort of a no-good-flirt if you to put it that way…."

"Let's say that I do. Did I get that right?"

"Hmm…yup!" That's pretty much it, senpai!"

Luka put a hand to her forehead. "But that means you find me physically attractive." It was only after she said it aloud she realized that it was a question quite unnecessarily asked.

Miku raised her teal eyebrows. "Of course I do. Why would I not?"

"Because… because I'm a girl?" Though being a perfectly valid explanation, something about being with the tealette made it sound lame to her own ears.

"You know about my preferences." Miku giggled. "'Sides, everyone in the mansion is attractive, aren't they?"

"Well, yes…" Luka admitted. "But you haven't tried to…ki-ki-kiss them, have you?" She quickly gulped her juice. Having to say that word so many times in a single conversation… she could just curl up and die.

"I did try to kiss Yukira-chan last week…"

"W-WHAT?"

"Yeah…Yukira-chan's lips would have been a treat. Did you know she's never had a boyfriend before? Stealing first kisses are the best…" Miku giggled.

Silence from Luka.

The tealette looked up and saw that Luka's face was just about to explode. She looked like she wanted to get out, curl up, and die, not minding the rain. A suspicion began to dawn in Miku's mind.

_No way…just no way…she's…she's gorgeous; no way…_

_No way…_

"Was it…your first kiss?"

All right, technically it was two.

"I…" Luka mumbled, "never had a boyfriend before as well."

"But…" the tealette tried to find something to say, "But you're…" She tried her hardest, but she found that some things couldn't be put to words. Instead, Miku made a vague gesture with her hand, indicating Luka's entire figure in general.

"I…did have my share of suitors." Luka mumbled. Oh, she had her share all right. "But…I didn't…'go out' with anyone…"

"But…" Miku repeated again, at loss at words for once, "I had my first kiss at thirteen…" She said disbelievingly, unable to believe that a twenty-year woman could still not have had her first kiss.

"T-Thirteen?" Luka stuttered, something she started doing quite a lot recently.

Miku found herself blushing again, despite the fact that it was nothing to be embarrassed about in her opinion. Perhaps being with Luka, who'd blush at the slightest suggestions, was affecting her. Whatever the reason was, she felt her face heat up. "Shira said her first was at eleven…" She tried a very blatant shot at directing the arrow elsewhere.

Luka blanched. What was it with the kids these days? Maybe the world really was coming to an end. "That…couldn't have been a serious kiss. She'd have been too young."

"I wouldn't know anything about that. That's her matter." Miku said. "Anyway, I didn't get to kiss Yukira-chan. Shira stopped me before I could." She left out how it had been pretty much other way around. That Yukira-chan had been…scary.

_"M-Miku-onee-sama!" Yukira struggled meekly against the bonds holding her, "Please…don't do this…_hiau_!"_

_"My, my, Yukira-chan…" Miku licked her lips, "you look so cute like that…" She traced a finger down the white girl's pale neck, making her shiver._

Luka felt a sudden anger spring unexpectedly at the realization that Miku had tried to kiss another girl. "…But you just said you wouldn't kiss straight girls."

Miku smiled deviously. "Ah, but I don't know her preferences, do I? It would be a shame for her to live thinking she was straight when she was actually gay."

Luka huffed, "By that line of logic you'll get to kiss every girl in the mansion."

"Hmm? Not really. I already know most of our preferences." She turned to let teal and blue eyes meet. "Did you know Miki-chan liked girls?"

"M-M-M-M-MIKI-CHAN?"

"Yup, I didn't expect it either. Not until she came to me one night to ask for advice on a crush."

"W-Who?" Luka coughed into her hand.

"That's a bit private, you know… But it's someone we know well." She glanced away, "Yeah…especially me." She added, more to herself than Luka.

"Shira-chan likes girls too." Miku added, making Luka almost swallow her own tongue in surprise.

"A-Anyone else?"

Miku shrugged. "Meiko-senpai is taken, so I can't do that on her. Rin-chan's too young, and Lily-nee…I don't think I dare." The tealette shuddered. Even she didn't believe she had a chance of topping Lily. "I'm afraid what would happen if she is…" Miku shuddered again. And for the first time Luka wondered what kind of reputation Lily had.

And with that Miku slowly took a sip from her soda, a gesture indicating that she had said everything.

Luka realized that this silence could change everything, deciding on the way she chose to break it. She could try to act like normal—which she knew the tealette would go with. And their relationship would go back to what it was previously was, or as close as it could be.

Or maybe…they could move forward.

Luka raised her eyes hesitantly, knowing that this was something that could be very personal, perhaps even insulting. "Miku?

"Yes, Luka-senpai?

"Why do you like girls?

Miku blinked. She didn't expect Luka to be the type to ask that sort of question. In fact, she expected her to avoid the topic and act like nothing happened that the most proximate one had been answered.

"Before I answer that, is there anything else you want to know to?" Miku said seriously, all joke gone from her voice.

Only about a million things. "Well… I want to know why you're so freely open with others…" Luka chose her words with care, "and if you ever had a serious relationship before."

"You wanna know if I'm really lesbian or just messing around, right?" Miku said in a dry voice.

The sharpness—acuteness—of the tealette's question caught Luka off her guard, leaving her at loss for words.

Miku rubbed her brows as her mind composed the sentences her heart told her into language others couldn't comprehend. "I always liked girls." Miku said slowly, trying to describe that had always been innate in her. "Always, as in from my birth. I knew this from the first. I did try to like boys, but I just couldn't feel any attraction for them in that way. Instead, I was attracted to slim legs, breasts, hips, and pretty faces. I did hide myself to others at first; I was afraid what would happen when people learned I was different." She broke off to collect her thoughts.

Surprisingly, Luka saw that Miku had a silver of a smile dancing on her lips. She had the distant look that could only be found in people remembering pleasant memories, after a gap much too long.

"Then one day, I met the prettiest girl I ever saw in my life. The first moment I saw her, I decided that I wanted to be with her. I wanted to be with her forever…though I don't know how serious I had been back then. It wasn't just her, though. I had got very sick of hiding my true self to others. Always lying, always hiding. I hated it. And it would have come out sooner or later anyway. But she had been the…catalyst; I suppose. It would have taken a few more years for me without her. I always thank her for that." Miku smiled softly. "We didn't become lovers, but we did become friends… and I'm happy enough with that.

"As for relationships…" Miku sighed. "No. I haven't been in a relationship yet. I've had my share of crushes and sleepless nights, I admit. But girls…are not so easy to tip if you are one too. No matter how pretty I might be." For a moment Luka saw a rueful smile. "There were few who did, but turned out they were just curious about me. I cut those off almost immediately, so they don't count. But I really do like girls…really do love girls."

Luka knew that Miku could have told a lie, or not answer at all. Instead she had said the truth. This was not a matter of fact or falsity, but a choice of trust. She believed Miku.

"Thank you." The pinkette said. The tealette's straight-forwardness had touched her deeply. Miku replied with a small smile.

A slice of brightness sliced the obsidian sky at that moment, a thunder followed almost immediately, snapping its way through multitudes of crashes. The world shook with the loud roar in its force.

It was nothing compared to the scream that rang in the car.

The tealette suddenly found herself with Luka trembling in her arms, holding onto her neck with vice-like grip. "There, there…" Miku patted Luka on the back, grinning as Luka's breasts pressed onto her own when she tightened the embrace. She could feel her entire body trembling on her. "It's okay senpai, just thunder." Miku crooned.

Luka hiccupped once, looked upwards at the sky, but at that moment another brightness flashed in the black sky, making her blue eyes widen.

_BOOM_

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK!" She screamed before diving for the tealette's arms again.

Whoa, exactly what sizes does she have, anyway? Miku thought dazedly as she was happily smoldered by Luka's magnificent breasts. Oh, she never expected Luka to be afraid of thunders…now wasn't that quite…kawaii? Her grin grew ever more perverted as more thunders sounded.

Sniffing, Luka raised her head from Miku's so that she could take a quick peek out at the world, burying her head again in Miku's comparatively smaller chest when she caught another flash of light from the corner of eyes. She only loosened her hold after silence continued to hold.

And then she realized that she had been hugging onto Miku the entire time. And to top it off, Miku began to giggle, "S-Senpai…you're just too cute for your own sake…" She stifled her laughter with one hand.

Luka wanted to die from embarrassment. Maybe she should just get out right now. Perhaps another lightning would strike her down painlessly then she'd only have to say Good bye world and that would be it. It was quite possible; the storm still had some time to go. But before she could make up her mind, Miku attached herself to Luka this time, taking hold of her left arm, making her put her right hand over the seat to keep her balance.

_"K-Kyaa?"_ Luka squealed, her body slanted by the pressing weight of the tealette. And yet Luka noticed that the tealette's body was even lighter than she had expected.

"Really…you're too cute…" Miku giggled, leaning into Luka's ear, "What was the term they used? Moe?" Luka shivered involuntarily at the moist breath touching her sensitive skin.

Suddenly self-conscious, Luka tried to use her right arm to take Miku off; the one she had been supporting herself with. But before she could push her away, her balance betrayed her. With a halfway completed yell she fell on her back, ending up lying on the seats… with Miku over her.

The tealette put her elbow on the space beside Luka, leaning on the hand attached to it and throwing a shadow over her face. "Much, much too cute…" She cupped a hand over the pinkette's red cheek, enjoying the situation that had presented itself to her.

Luka started to gasp as her heart accelerated, and with each breath she could taste the same sweet fragrance that seemed to always cling to the tealette. "M-Miku…" Luka begged nervously, hoping that Miku wouldn't notice how her heartbeat was too fast, even though their breasts were pressed to each other. She only hoped her abundant breasts would be on her side for once. "Please get off me…"

Miku giggled. She had just got forgiven, so it was probably alright, wasn't it? She was feeling a bit playful right now…Miku swooped her face down lower, making Luka press her head as far as possible into the seats. And Luka's reaction…her reaction only made her felt like teasing her more. "My, my senpai…" She teased, fully getting into the mood, "aren't your cheeks quite—"

_Thud_

Time did not stop; but thickened, as if air had been replaced with water; becoming harder to wade in.

Then she saw Luka's eyes.

Had she ever seen them—truly seen them—before? No. She might as well have been color-blind for what all of her memories could give her.

How could she not, after seeing them for night every day and night since becoming the Vocaloid, have realized?

They were the colors of the utmost clearest blue, the apotheosis of all seas endlessly flowing around the world. They were the epitome of the sky, eternally surrounding their lives overhead. They were the perfection, able to take in and embrace. These eyes would never turn bear hostility in their clear depths that stretched far. Farther. Farthest. She could not look away; her breath seemed to have disappeared inside her lungs, leaving her with nothing at all.

Luka was frozen. Miku's teal extremely long twin-tails turned out to be long enough for them to reach her, even with the rest draped down in long two long sheaves on her back. Individual strands crisscrossed over her field of vision, throwing fine teal lines over her view of her face. Her teal eyes dominated her attention, holding her in its vice that refused to waver. Her view of the world and its counterparts had been diminished into Miku and Miku alone. And once again, that same pine-like scent…but only because that was the closest she could put. She had never tasted such fragrance in her life before.

Their world had been closed, interlocked, and enclosed into this small fracture. No one existed save for themselves. No sounds could be heard except their breathing…and heartbeats. They rang in their ears, sounds of blood coursing through their veins.

The air changed, growing sweeter and thicker as their bodies continued to touch. Whilst Luka's position was the same, Miku had swung her legs all the way, letting one draped over the pinkette's abdomen with another over her thigh. Miku's hand that had been cupping her cheek now traveled downwards, moving to her neck, sensing the pulse. Their faces, both simultaneously frozen, were immobile; January snow that had been melted and refrozen until it was closer to ice.

This was no longer a game.

Miku's lips began to come down lower, closing the already intimidate distance. Small clouds of vapor were created in the frigid air as they breathed, merging before dissipating. Panicking, Miku realized that she was going to kiss Luka again. She desperately gathered her not inconsiderable will, trying to break away, trying to stop herself from causing more trouble for both of them.

She might as well have tried to stop her heart with thoughts alone.

Luka's body unclenched, staying still and making no resistance to the tealette, despite having realized what was going to happen. She felt dreamy, her mind becoming hazy as vision blurred. Her head rose the tiniest bit, blue eyes subtly drawing closed.

_…No!_ The last parts of their reason screamed out one choked cry before falling into silence.

_Take me. And then maybe I would be able to see myself. Maybe you would be the one to tip me so that I could free me from hell of my own mind._

They saw each other reflected in their irises, teal shining on blue and blue on teal.

_Let me. Let me ravage you for that's what I desire. Let me take you, lock our tongues and lips for no other reason than that; let me take claim this selfish kiss._

Their lips drew close, closer…the heat from each other's sensitive skin seeped through the air and landed on their own. Miku's hand went to take Luka's, and she let her longer fingers intricate with the tealette's comparatively smaller ones.

They were going to kiss again.

They didn't —couldn't— care whatever happened afterwards. They were as powerless to stop as much as they could stop a tide.

And the door opened.

That was all.

In their place no one could have seen them, nor could they see anyone else. The kiss could have been made and got away with.

But it broke everything.

Their frigid world shattered at the realization that another being save themselves existed.

Luka leapt to her feet, nearly throwing Miku off to the floor in her haste. Miku stumbled backwards, grabbing to a seat to stop herself from injury. The pinkette jumped outside, shoving the door open, not caring the once again heavy rain.

"Luka-senpai!"

She heard Miku's voice, but ignored it. She ran, blood beating in her ears, cold water chilling her heated skin. Blue eyes, ones that had captured the tealette so, were wide and glazed with confusion.

"Dammit…" Miku felt like crying. She had ruined it. They were just on the verge of ending the night comfortably, once again friends, and now she just had to ruin it all again. They had gone back further back than to square one and she was the one who did it.

"Miku…?" A confused voice questioned her, "What…?" Gumi asked, protected from the rain by a bright green umbrella.

The tealette turned her head to the sound of her friend's voice, and saw that her friends, _both_ her friends were there. Shira was standing just behind Gumi. A hand was stuck in her jeans, the other awkwardly held in the air after Gumi released it to open the door.

"…Gumi," The tallest of them said, getting Gumi's attention, "Maybe…another time…"

"No." The tealette said, rubbing at her dry eyes to stop herself from really breaking into tears; she could feel the dam threatening to break despite her efforts. _Please…don't let me cry._ "I think…I need you guys now."

That was all it took. The two girls got inside, Shira being careful to not soil her hair on the ground.

Then they held each of Miku's slender hands. They held them until the tealette, mentally exhausted, fell asleep in between. A single tear finally slipping out as her resistance was lost in sleep.

Luka ran.

She ran to the mansion, she ran up the stairs, and lastly she ran into help. To the only help she could ask for in the place.

From the person she had sent away then.

"LILY!"

Lily wheeled to her direction in surprise; she had always been the one who burst into rooms, not the other way around. She was even more surprised when the pinkette threw herself in her arms, sobbing hysterically.

"Whoa— what is it, Luka-chan? Luka-chan?" The blonde frantically tried to get her friend any sense of self-control. Luka seemed to be incapable of making a coherent reply, crumbling in her arms.

"Fuck it…" She growled, throwing away her earphones without any concern over the expensive audio. Seeing Luka like this wasn't scaring her. It was terrifying her. "Luka-chan! Tell me what happened!"

Luka only continued to cry, holding onto Lily for dear life.

* * *

><p><strong>*take a deep breath* well, there's the chapter...<strong>

**and here are the replies for my reviewers XD I love you people all.**

**IdrewAcow**: Yay~ I got my language complimented :D Thanks so much for everything, IA. (I wonder if I'm making some others tired of endless thanks x.x)

**yuuki yami**: Well, I can only thank my imagination XP

**RandomGirl2k5**: I hope you can recover from that soon XD Or you're gonna get weird stares from people if you keep on grinning at random. Thanks for the review~

**FeeptheNinja**: Wow! Nice review! And pikachu! Tell me the other 99 percent right now! *lunges*

**t1Mb3r**: Once again, thank you for complimenting that scene~ As for updates... *surrounded by gloomy aura*

**Maroon Cross**: We've talked a bit on our PMs~ Sorry I couldn't reply to you ^^' But schools's started again... *slam head in the wall* And once again, people keep complimenting on that scene X3 I love my imagination sometimes...

**The number of my reviewers are starting to increase~ X3**

**I'm never going to give up on my story, my dear readers. I'm never giving up on the story I love most in the world.**

**Well, that's that ;D Until next time, and once again since I just have to, I love you all~ *hugs everyone* And although it'll take time for me to reply(darn school) please PM me if you want to talk to me~ *wave***

-Iluvian Melody


	6. No Logic

**A/N:** Apparently, the guilty are supposed to be silent.

I now see that it had been an year and three months since I have uploaded Ch 5.

Thus I shall be silent.

...

Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm still here, I'm still alive, and I'm still writing.

...And it'd be a great help for me if you review.

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: No Logic<p>

You never knew winter until it was there.

No one can. Everyone forgets about the feeling of the proper coldness in the air. It was only after the airs turned frigid, and every time you went out you could feel the coldness on all your skin, feel the coldness in your lungs whenever you breathed in, that you remembered how it really feels like in winter. Don't even try to start arguing about air conditioners; artificial coldness was never same to natural one, and if you couldn't tell the difference you were a fool.

So Gumi thought, leaning on the windowsill. She breathed the cold air into her lungs, feeling that strange exhilaration as her insides grew frigid. The world was no more than a black canvas upon which no color had been painted. Both the clock's hand on the wall pointed straight upwards.

Gumi took another breath and let out, closing her eyes briefly to focus more on her sense of touch. She had always enjoyed winter; she appreciated the way coldness sharpened and cleared the mind against other minor thoughts.

"…Tell me what you think." A soft, slow voice, just a notch deeper then hers, called her attention.

"That I don't know," Gumi said in reply to Shira, then again faced the bed.

They were in Gumi's room, the lights off, leaving only the moon to bleach all colors silver. Miku lay sleeping in the greenette's bed, and the pale light caressed over her head, her exposed arms, and her face; so calm and peaceful now, yet with tear tracks still left on her cheeks. Her skin glowed as if she was a craft of a silvery, made from the skills of a master who had taken her friend and left a perfect copy. She was small, and for the moment, delicate.

She closed her emerald eyes and released a sigh.

"None?" Shira asked again, her hands tracing lines down Miku's face.

"I've been her friend for more than five years… and no. I've never seen her like… like this. Like she's… lost something." Her words came out clumsy, making her wish not for the first time that she had the ability say what's on her mind without losing anything.

Shira's hand paused the smallest moment on the mention of the time of their friendship. All tonight, she had been forced to see that although nearly as strong, her comforts had touched the tealette just a bit less then Gumi's, and moreover, that _her _own emotions to Miku were weaker than the worry she read in Gumi's. It made her feel lonely, as if she was suddenly terribly apart from both friends she had found.

Of course, if Miku and Gumi had been girls who could only pile up a relationship in five years time that Shira could have easily caught up in less than two weeks… no, she wouldn't have loved that either. She only wished that someday, they would be three, instead of two and one.

"Is she asleep?" Gumi asked just to make sure. When Shira nodded yes, she gestured that they should get out. Shira slowly nodded, and gave one lingering caress to Miku before doing so, her every movement careful not to disturb.

Gumi was there for just a bit more, gazing down to the tealette's face from the windowsill, wondering and wondering before she stepped down and followed Shira's lead, closing the heavy wooden door with the same care.

Outside, she found the tall whitette leaning beside the entrance. She mumbled a good night, and had taken a step when Shira asked her where she was going.

"Miku's room," Gumi said, not stopping.

"For what?" Shira said, tagging behind her with hands in her jeans.

Gumi eyed her as if she was missing something obvious. "Where else the hell am I supposed to sleep?" They were both considerably brighter now that Miku was no longer within their immediate presence.

Shira gave her a dubious look. "And what would you do when Miku returns to her own room after she wakes up, which would be sooner than you, and finds you sleeping in her bed?"

Gumi very pointedly stopped.

"She wouldn't… dare," Gumi said shakily, still not turned around to show herself.

"Miku would."

Gumi began to mutter to herself as if thinking for something, than, "I'll sleep on the couch."

"I have never known you enjoyed having back pains. Should I make a note of it?" She tried the joke as a little gamble, hoping Gumi wouldn't snap at her.

Gumi glared at Shira, who, she wasn't surprised at least to see, was smiling faintly. "Well, then, where should I go? Out in the freezing rain?"

The white girl answered smiling. Noble purposes didn't make teasing less enjoyable for her. "My room can be spared."

"I'll take the rain."

"Yeesh, Gumi!" She grabbed her hand as Gumi began to sprint. "I'm serious!"

"Really? I'm serious too. I'm currently mastering all the seriousness I can think of so I'd appreciate if you would just let. Me. GO!" She roared, ripping her hand out from Shira's grip.

"You've had sleepovers with Miku before!" She said, somewhat hurt at her fierceness.

"That was after I threatened I wouldn't hang out with her for a week if she tried anything funny," Gumi growled, and once again tried to run away. She was serious about sleeping on the couch. Shira was a good friend; she'd had enough time to realize that. But being with Miku for years also made her apprehensive of girls who openly said they liked other girls.

Gumi's actions were cut short when Shira grabbed her roughly by her arm, forcing her to turn around; and Gumi saw that she was no longer playful; in her eyes she could see emotion just short of anger, as if Shira's will was the only thing restraining it.

"…I don't do anything 'funny' without agreement," she spoke low in her throat, then abruptly dropped her head, hiding her face from the smaller girl's view.

Gumi was taken aback, and was incapable of making a reply until at last Shira raised her head. Her usual coolness was back again; if she had lost it in first place.

"Sleep wherever you want, Gumi," she said abruptly. "I'm tired. You know enough of me to know that I always sleep on 12 o'clock. Good night."

Again shoving her hands in her jeans, she began to walk away to her own room. After a moment of another silence however, the tall girl felt a hand get her by her cuff. She looked back, finding her friend's eyes glaring into her own.

"If," Gumi muttered, her following footsteps having been masked by the thick carpets, "you say, see, mumble, grin, smile, or do anything that makes me uncomfortable, I'm not talking to you for a month.

A brief smile surfaced on Shira's face at Gumi's words, then she turned serious. "I shan't."

Shira promised. Gumi believed.

Later in the dark room, as Gumi lay in bed about to fall asleep, she took a glance to the side to see how Shira was faring. She seemed already asleep, breathing deep and long, her face turned away from Gumi. She thought briefly on whether as if she was really safe… but felt herself falling asleep anyway. Letting her wavering eyes close, she tugged on the covers they shared, all the more when she felt Shira tug on her end as well, and found herself snuggling closer to the whitette in order to do so. Yet when her legs accidently brushed against hers… Shira drew further away, keeping her promise even in sleep.

Gumi let her restraints go, satisfied. Even as Miku moaned alone and vainly reached out for someone to embrace in her unconsciousness… Gumi took the sweetest rest ever in life.

* * *

><p>"…Better?" Lily said into Luka's ear.<p>

The pinkette nodded ever slowly into Lily's shoulder before parting. "Thank you…" she mumbled, "and sorry."

Lily let go of Luka. She had been crying in her arms nonstop, and she needed distance if she was to examine her better. She held the pinkette by her shoulders with gentle grip, looking into her face and her eyes, trying to judge Luka's mind.

She was shaken, for sure. Or so she had been when she first came to her. Now she looked as if she was released from the immediate fear, at least. Now she just looked… tired.

"Is there… anything I can do to help?" Lily asked.

Luka looked and met her long friend's eyes, as if going over a weary argument inside she could not end.

Did she like girls?

She finally dared to put her vague fear into a written sentence. From the first kiss Miku had given her, from the weary nights she had spent with a burn in her heart… no, who was she trying to deceive? Longer, much longer she had pondered over the question. From the time it was an idea in a corner of her consciousness, till it had grown to a thorn prickling her, than to a burn scorching her to make her thrash.

Pain bolted through her. Old pain. Familiar pain.

Did she?

Did she wish for girls as her partner?

Was she made so that she wanted another girl?

The answer came to her not.

Lily did not avert from her gaze, looking until Luka closed them first.

"No," she said, her eyes were still closed and disabled Lily into seeing them.

"Not now," Luka added.

"…all right," Lily said, "but you're not going tonight."

Luka sighed wearily. "Lily…"

"No. I'm not going to ask you to do or tell me anything," the blonde said. "But no; I'm not letting you go and sleep alone. If you wanna sleep tonight than you're going to do it with me, and you're gonna sleep here."

Luka started at this suggestion, once again looking into Lily's eyes. And as before the blonde avoided her gaze not, until to both of their surprise, Luka gave her a tiny smile and fell to her side over Lily's bed. "You wouldn't let me go even if I asked for it, would you, Lil-chan?"

Lily nodded, crossing her arms. "Never," she said, and wondered if Luka realized that she had called her by the nickname she had long ago stopped using.

Luka sighed into the sheet, the corner of her lips still lifted in a smile. "It's been long we had a proper sleepover, I guess." She stretched her arms and legs, allowing herself to relax.

"Too long," Lily growled playfully, lying down beside Luka. She was glad that the pinkette was back to normal—or as close as she could right now. "I haven't been able to get a proper dose these days." She wrapped an arm around Luka's abdomen, making wolfish growls.

"You sound like a junkie, Lily," Luka mumbled, giving her a knock on her head. "Or some guy trying to be a hunk trying to charm a girl in a club."

"Hey. You're hurting my feelings," Lily said, but she was grinning. "Besides, how would you know about how guys acted in a club?"

"…American TV shows."

"...you should definitely enjoy life some more, Luka."

"Lily…" Luka protested, "I told you I don't want to go to a club…" She pulled the covers over her nose, looking worriedly at Lily as if she'd propose doing so right now.

"…you've also watched too much TV then it's good for you," Lily sighed, and began to pat Luka on her head, making her close her eyes at the pleasant sensation.

"...I tried out the bar you suggested on my twentieth birthday…" Luka mumbled.

"And you were shaking all over and clutching at my arm as if a rapist would come out the door and sell you off," Lily said, "Geez, I thought you were supposed to be an adult when you turn twenty."

"I _am_ an adult," Luka puffed her cheeks out at Lily, who broke out laughing. Annoyed, Luka smacked her on the face with a pillow, but even that measure wouldn't stop her.

"All right, all right. Don't get mad at me," Lily said when she could keep herself down, to which Luka retaliated by turning over to the other side, stuffing the pillow under her head.

Lily chuckled and poked Luka on the cheek playfully a few times before properly lying down as well, turning off the light. She knew better then Luka. Adults? They?

No. They were still kids. Above twenty? So what. They were young; too young to be called anything but girls; too oblivious of too much things to be adults, and Luka even more than her.

"…Say, Lukya," Lily said when Luka had started to get sleepy.

"…What is it, Lily?"

"Are you having…" here Lily paused for some time, searching, wondering, which words she could use, "…relationship problems?"

Luka looked at Lily, then avoided her eyes.

"…yes." She whispered after a long time.

Lily wished to ask further; she was afraid that Luka would lie. In the long years they had spent together they had exchanged and crossed over millions of words… in which Luka had never told her a lie.

But now she was afraid that Luka would if she pressed her for more.

"…Where did that come from, Lily?" Luka whispered.

For one long moment, Lily looked at Luka, and her eyes were so deep, so far, that Luka could not guess what she was thinking.

"…Just got curious," she said, and turned over on her other side of bed, stopping conversation.

Dissatisfied, Luka glared at the back of Lily's head. "…_Baka_ Lil-chan."

Lily snickered softly at the name, but her back continued to be turned.

Luka continued her glare as long as she could. That was, until she began to fell asleep. Lily's bed had always been where she could fall asleep with ease; being in the same covers with her best friend always had been so for her.

Lily heard Luka's breathing slowly deepen, and after a few yawns she heard the sound of Luka's hand dropping over the bed. Was she asleep? She wondered, and as she did, Luka fell into the warm embrace of unconsciousness, mumbling small under her breath, so small that Lily could just barely hear.

"…Lil-chan never looks at me when sleeping."

A few minutes later Lily became sure Luka was sleeping and finally turned over. The icy pale eyes had been closed; now they opened, and those pale, cold-colored orbs stared long into the pinkette's face.

With her movements hidden in the dark she caressed her cheek slowly, deliberately, as if allowing herself just the breath of something she could never take.

Luka's face turned just a little to the direction of the caress, and Lily removed her hand.

But her eyes never left Luka's innocent face.

Beside her Luka slept, wrapped in Lily's sweetness that she had longed for all night; but various rush of teal filled her dreams.

* * *

><p>Darkness was still surrounding them when Gumi, now completely and fully enshrouded in her sleep, did what she did every night without ever realizing it.<p>

She reached out to Shira.

To be precise, she was only habitually trying to grab whatever that was near her, which were usually the large pillows she had on her beds.

"Mwah…"

Gumi mumbled. If she had been lifted and carried away she still wouldn't have woke up. When Gumi slept, she slept hard. And only because she was so deeply asleep she grabbed around with her hand.

They touched upon something soft, silky; Shira's hair. Her delicate fingers tried to grab it, but found that she could only get handfuls of the pleasant substance. No, that wasn't what she wanted. Still mumbling, still unconscious as much as she could ever be, Gumi's hands stretched, then further… then made contact with soft warm skin.

Her fingers were now on Shira's sides. They traced along her slender lines, patted around a bit more at the warm surface, till Shira was identified as a huggable object. Satisfied, Gumi loosely wrapped her right arm on Shira.

The white haired girl was in sleep as much as Gumi was, but even then the memories of the promise with Gumi remained in the corners of her mind, making her sleepily wriggle away, almost falling from her own bed. Feeling her huggee disappear Gumi now _pulled_ Shira with her right arm, and added her left to the effort.

Now, even though the promise was still prickling her, years and years with sleeping with Yukira had given Shira a habit of hugging back the person who reached out to her in sleep. She turned her body over to Gumi's direction, and draped her long arms over Gumi's; one wrapping her body, the other going under Gumi's neck.

Satisfied what she had was allowing her to embrace, Gumi tightened her grip to the point their bodies were intimately pressed. Shira returned the action, believing it was her sister.

Long, and long, they slept together, wrapped in each other's arms, enshrouded in each other's presence.

And at last, daybreak came to wake them up.

"…sigh."

Gumi's breath was the first sound made in Shira's room that day. Her eyes opened, glazed and dull with sleep. Commonly, she would have just been rubbing at her eyes only by some time around nine, but the nonusual situation had affected her.

Emerald eyes opened, closed. Opened, then again closed, taking in the view slowly, growing clearer and brighter each time until they suddenly focused at once, becoming a sharp glare.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!"

"Ah- AHH!?"

Shira was able to let out a scream just before she fell headfirst to the floor. The carpet broke her fall… but the shock had knocked off an empty glass bottle from the bed table, which crashed on her head, making her see stars.

"You… you…. YOU!" Gumi yelled as Shira rolled over, clutching her face in pain. Gumi's face was red, and her outthrust finger quivered in shock.

"Yes? What _was _I doing, if I may ask—!" Shira was cut off in the middle of her words as Gumi punched her in the stomach. Her reflexives should have been trained enough to dodge that—had she not had her nose nearly broken. She faltered, stepped over her own hair, and fell over her bed. Gumi mercilessly stepped over her back as she walked out with a final:

"I'm _never_ talking to you again!"

_Slam._

Both pained and confused, Shira pulled herself upwards until she was more or less properly lying down. A pair of aquamarine eyes looked around the room, then closed as her head was lowered.

"What _did _I do?" She said miserably.

* * *

><p>Gumi stomped her way with her hands shoved deep in her pockets; she would lash out to others more than verbally if she weren't. Her cheeks were red, and if anyone had asked her of it that person would have found in oneself in a very bad situation.<p>

"Uhh…."

Gumi growled. In her mind, her shuffled emotions of disbelief, anger and embarrassment had made her subconsciously blur the precise memory of the event, leaving herself with only vague feelings of confused anger.

"Argh…" Her face flushed, and again the mixture of embarrassment and rage sparkled her eyes.

Retaining her emotion, she stomped into her room, reached her bed, and was preparing to yell at the current possessor to get out right now.

Three steps left, then two, then one… but her yell died in her throat upon looking at Miku.

Her white naked back fully exposed.

The tealette was sleeping face down. The sheets were draped upon her like a classic robe, hiding her body from her pelvis down, but revealing all above it. Gumi realized that she would have been actually able to see her breasts if she had been sleeping on her other side.

She remembered at that moment of her best friend's particular preference of sleeping naked.

"Hey!" Gumi yelled, her face flaming. She noticed that her clothes were strewn around the room. Only after yelling she haltered, wondering if she had been much too brutal to a girl who had been crying her eyes out less than ten hours ago.

Miku moaned groggily into the pillow, "…mwah myu nya?"

Nope. She was the good old Miku allright.

Miku raised her body, supporting her body on her elbows. A vague part of Gumi realized that if she took the picture right now from her angle, she could sell it to the semi-adult magazines at an extremely high price.

Gumi rubbed her forehead. "Get out, Miku. I don't feel like playing with you now."

Miku dropped back to the pillows.

Gumi sighed. Nope, she didn't expect things to be so easy.

"GET OUT RIGHT NOW!"

Miku's twintails jumped in the air. Yes, Gumi really saw such a thing happen.

"Gumi-chan…"

Oh, good. She was talking.

"YEAH!?"

"I… don't feel well…" Miku spoke into her pillow.

A vein tried to snap. "Yeah? I don't care. Just shut up and put whatever you can get your hands on as quick as you can, Miku. Shit, it's too cold—"

Before she could end her sentence a strong wind blew the curtains over her windows, cast them to the side—

And showed the open windows.

Wait a sec.

Gumi froze.

Had she ever _closed_ the window last night?

Gumi slowly walked to her, turned her wavering eyes on her face—her very red face—and put her hand to her forehead.

Her best friend was burning.

Pale.

Megupoid Gumi grew pale.

* * *

><p>"-that you could go on and record a single song fifty-six times? <em>No<em>. Did I ever say you were supposed to re-sing every single note and verse until every single note and verse became perfect? _No!"  
><em>

His voice almost rose to the scream at the end as Piko spoke to Luka. Meanwhile, the pinkette took slow sips from her can of coke, needing and wanting sugar that would come quick and effective to her tired, exhausted system.

"-the recording manager's face?! What did you think about the way the PV director was standing by without anything to do for _six full hours _more than he thought he would have to wait?"

On and on the blue-and-green eyed boy went with his small-talk that had become a small speech. People coming and going on their ways glanced at the pair, one sitting on the chair on the lobby, the other walking back and forth in front, occasionally throwing his hands up, or making gestures to go with.

Utatane Piko. If you had asked for his title, it would have been The Manager. A manager as in the guy who took care of schedules, made reservations and meetings, and generally helped their client—singers—succeed. The only thing that differentiated him from any other of his vocation was, save his youth, his number of clients.

He was the manager of every vocaloids.

Every. Single. Vocaloids.

"-and what next, Megurine-san?" he asked aloud to the air, "Oh! That you plan to work on your next for three years on a distant island in south Indiana? That you're going to go into a cave and meditate until you understand the celestial way of the universe? Did you remember to pack your toothbrush, Megurine-san? I can't quite recall reading gorillas like to brush their."

"…Gorillas don't live in caves, Piko-san." Luka said, then once again put her lips to the can, took a drink, then sighed. Now her throat felt like it was actually going to work again. That was nice.

"They could go and live in Mercury with gas masks for all I care! The point here, Megurine-san," he stopped, and stabbed a finger directly at her face, glaring into her weary eyes, "is that you're a stupid perfectionist who can't let things go!"

Luka closed her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them, looking into the two-shaded fire in her manager's face with calmness from which her reputation was built over. "Piko-san, I think we've had this discussion before, haven't we?"

He suddenly quieted down. "Oh, of _course _we've had these discussions." He smiled, sweet enough to have made Luka respond too, had she not already known what came after that smile. "We've had them seven times before, haven't we? And. You. Won't. FIX A SINGLE DAMN THING!"

Luka thought her headache was going down. It started to come back to her. "And why _should _I change anything?" she said back, probably the closest she could come to a quarrel. "If I remember right, that was just how-"

Luka's phone rang, cutting them off both. Piko turned his eyes away from her and turned around, finally finding a chance to cool his temper.

"Hello, Megurine Luka speaking— Gumi-san? What… Miku? Yes… she's… yes… I understand…"

Come on, Piko. Come on, boy. Breath in, breath out. Cool yourself. You've had worse, right? Like the time the Kagamines blew down the Crypton hall. Or when Gakupo had came in for pictures with real swords. You've had these things before. Hell, you have these things every other day.

In, then out. The boy thought fervently with each breath. All right. He admitted Luka wasn't deliberate, not even unconscious. In fact, she was doing in her own ways what were right for her; fighting for something that was right in her standards and ways of view. It was not her heart that was wrong, or even causing problems. The fault all stood in the disparity between the system they were working in and the one in her mind.

"No, you don't need to worry… yes…"

He rubbed his temple. Conflicts were born in this place. It was _his_ job, _his _role, to set things proper. To make things get rolling. That was why he was getting paid so freaking much from several companies at once. Luka's was just to make songs.

"All right, Megurine-san," coming out from deep reflections of his heart, Utatane Piko began to speak, his back still turned. "We'll settle this like this: for now you go to the studio and get the job there over. I'll stay and fi—"

Radiant and warm smile on his face, he turned around at last.

Only an empty sit faced him.

In the deep silence, he could just hear the sound of a limo driving away.

"Um, sir," a lady called to him, "there's something I need to talk to you about the PV production…"

Smiling, Piko mechanically turned precisely 90 degrees left. Then 90 degrees again.

"Kate?"

"Yes, sir?"

"One More Kiss, that was the song Megurine-san's working on right now, am I right?"

"Yes, sir."

Piko's face was not smiling; it was more like he had put on a mask; one that just happened to be a smile. "Kate," he said, "please notice the producers thatI'll make the PV for that one."

"But sir, I think the usual team's already started on it…"

"Don't worry," he said, still smiling. "I'll find a way to make everything work. Yes, I just believe I've got the greatest idea."

Kate has been working as Piko's secretary for long enough to know what to say in this situation.

"Understood, sir."

She didn't.

"Thank you." Piko nodded. "I'm so glad you do. It refrains me from taking unnecessary measures."

* * *

><p>Entrance, hall, stairs, hall, than flying past the long corridor that lead her to Miku. Pink hair fluttering, slender legs rising and lowering, white skin sparkling. So flew Luka, and would have flown straight to Miku, had she but found an unexpected figure standing in her way.<p>

"Shira-san!? I… you…"

If left to her own will, Luka would have asked. Like about Miku, or how she was doing, or how she was feeling, only that her respiratory system failed her. She leaned heavily on the wall, sweat tracking lines down her face, and trying to stop gasping.

"Miku's fine, if that's what you're worried about." Shira said, than added, "Physically." Her eyes were downturned.

Luka relaxed at her words, than realized what Shira had added, making a knot twist in her stomach. Luka tensed, while Shira looked… cold. Not the painfully freezing coldness she had shown before to the twins… but cold, nonetheless

It scared Luka.

She founded herself being gazed down, a feeling Luka had almost forgot, living with everyone shorter than her. But now the fact went into her heart that she actually had to look up a bit to meet this girl's eyes.

"Do you think we talk, Luka-senpai?" Shira said. Her voice was like her gaze, cool… and criticizing.

Luka swallowed, but with it got her breath back. "…Could I see Miku first?"

A corner of Shira's eyebrow twitched just the tiniest bit. Luka wished to shrink back at the chill she felt, but even so she stood firm, though her hands again began to play with each other. A sigh, than Shira opened the door for her.

Leaning her body in Luka could well see Miku's calm face. A bit red, perhaps, but it was a lot less then what she expected from Gumi's worried, frantic call.

"Her temperature?" Luka whispered, withdrawing to allow Shira to shut the door and let Miku sleep.

"Normal." Shira said mechanically, "Rather high at first, but I managed to get it down."

The long haired girl led Luka to her own room, her actions speaking: _you're done, right? _

Shira had sat on the corner of her bed. Luka looked around uncomfortably, finding herself first time in the newest girl's room, than finding a chair sat down on it. Shira kept silent until Luka had more or less settled down.

"Miku cried last night."

Shira said brusquely, and watched Luka drop her head.

"…I thought as much." Luka said timidly.

Shira's eyes seemed as if they glowed; like they were alight with another disparate source then the sunlight around them. Luka shrank before the coldness the room was suddenly immersed in.

Shira did not glare. She was not a person who glared. She only gazed; gazed with that ice-needle like gaze, gazing straight into her deepest corners, freezing her from inside.

"You realize that Miku was hurt."

"….yes."

Another plunge in temperature.

Shira took a breath, then asked once more.

"Was she hurt because of you?"

"…yes."

Sharp sound of air.

In instant Shira's face was thrusted right before hers. Luka startled back, and found Shira's hand was held poised, stretched straight behind her.

Shira held that stance for three seconds then returned to her former position. It was only then Luka realized that she had been just about to be slapped, refrained only by Shira's will.

Cold fear pierced its way into her spine. Just the start of childish, scared tears threatened her… but still. Terrified, scared, teary and trembling, even then Luka would not run away.

Now disgust was mixed in that glacial gaze. Luka felt herself growing small. Growing tiny. Growing miniscule. Hours of straight burning anger would be better than another second of being sliced with this arctic knife.

Long time passed that way. Shira gazed. Luka would avoid it as much as she could, but would eventually be drawn into a glance. Then she would keep away as much as she could until she again met her eyes.

Just that. An unwavering, constant stare.

And it was the worst reprimand Luka had ever experienced.

"…Would you tell me what happened between you two last night?" Shira asked at long last. Not a twitch she had shown during that time. She had sat, her back straight as arrow, her posture clean as a noble.

"…no. I'm sorry, Shira." Luka whispered. She clenched her eyes, preparing herself for the slap that was now going to come for sure, one she deserved.

A brief silence followed before Shira lowered her head, hiding her face in her right hand. Her lips clenched, her teeth biting her tongue. Luka raised her eyes, surprised at the sudden transformation. She had never seen such expressions of emotion from this girl. Another silence, this time much longer, continued between them.

"…you, won't, tell me?" Shira murmured, and bit her lips.

"…I can't, Shira."

A wave of shudder racked her slender body at Luka's soft words. Her face lowered and lowered until it was completely hidden by her hands and her hair that fell, long and lush as ever.

"I…" Shira gasped as if breathing hurt, and tried to speak, only to fail again. Her shoulder began to tremble, spasms running through her body.

Luka was shocked that the girl was almost on tears. "S-Shira…?"

"I… I…" Shira breathed, drawing in air to her lungs like it was her life, then looked up to Luka's eyes for one instance. Luka immediately placed the emotion she read there: frustration so deep it had passed into pain.

Luka reached out and held Shira's held. She didn't grab; Megurine Luka was not someone who grabbed, but held them.

Shira looked at Luka with wide eyes; eyes that had now completely lost their chill. She tried to take her hand back to hide her face, but Luka held firm, even taking her other hand away from her.

"Luka-senpai…?"

"…could you tell me, Shira?" Luka murmured, reaching out to whom she had been rebuked moments ago. She was like that; she could not ignore another in distress.

Luka had never learned from another person how one should comfort, how one could ease, how one could caress. Luka was a person who just knew them. The same way she knew how to smile to make people relax, the same way her heart and eyes moved to the sadness of another. It was a gift of tenderness, of compassion she had received from her birth; one that blessed people around her more than herself.

"…I told you Miku cried, right?" she asked a while after, and before Luka could answer she continued as if catching up her own words. "She was… really bad last night. All crying and… weak. She was weak, senpai. Miku, weak.

"And I… couldn't feel sorry for her enough. I did, of course… pained, all worried… but…" she glanced Luka once. "Not as much as Gumi-chan—ah…" she gasped.

"It's okay, Shira." Luka said.

Her arms were softly wrapped around the taller girl, making her stand up to do so.

Luka understood.

"You don't need to say any more, Shira."

She was still. Not relaxed, still the way a wild bird caught in human hands is still… then the aquamarine eyes closed, and along with it went the stiffness.

"Shira?" Luka called.

"…yes, senpai?" Shira replied. Haltingly, carefully. Trying to guess what Luka would say. But Luka's words betrayed all her expectations.

"Thank you for taking care of Miku when she was sick."

Gratitude.

The white girl inhaled sharply at her words.

Luka had understood.

Failing to worry for her friend as much as she wanted, Shira had at least wanted to do something for her.

Even after nursing back from a serious fever, she still hadn't felt it was enough, and had wished to clear Miku's problem for her. To Shira it was a way of redemption; of saying sorry for what she had failed to do.

The would-have-been tears were from doubt—to herself, and frustration—to herself.

And Luka had told her she had done enough.

Trembling, Shira lowered her head into Luka's chest. Luka wrapped her arms around the taller girl, and Shira suddenly reminded of the many nights she had comforted her sister just like this.

Maybe it was not that bad to be on the receiving end now and then, she thought.

"...thank you, Luka-senpai." Shira said after a while, removing herself from Luka's arms.

"…you can cry, Shira." Luka called as Shira began to stand up. She knew from experience releasing tears were in many times the best way of leaving things behind.

Shira smiled softly, tainted with the just hint of melancholy. "I'm not supposed to cry." she said, "But enough of me. You're here to see Miku. Go see her."

Luka hesitated, searching for the answer, than decided it was alright. Shira's face no longer had the pained look she had first seen.

She was just on the verge of going out when Shira called her name, making her turn around.

"… thank you." Shira added, not looking straight at Luka like her usual way, but her eyes slid off to the side. Just the trace of redness were on her cheeks.

Luka smiled. "You're welcome."

* * *

><p>Miku was sleeping.<p>

Every time she inhaled and exhaled her breast would rise and then fall in a slow rhythm, making the teal sheets follow her movements. Her eyes were gently closed, and her sugary white skin glowed with the pale sunlight.

Beauty was there; not shining beauty, no. That was when she was when she was awake, when she would be almost hard to look at straight. The beauty of the sleeping girl was of different kind; a flower to unexpectedly find among grass, think it pretty, find yourself looking, then looking and liking the prettiness and looking and liking the prettiness until you at last realized it was beautiful.

Luka had again got a chair from a place of the room, and was sitting on it beside the tealette's four-poster bed. Her back was straight, her fingers were daintily put together on her lap. Only the ocean blue eyes showed disorder: they were wavering, never quite still like water in a pool.

Beautiful.

Luka's throat felt so constricted, as if she had drank down thick syrup and wished something would cool her. Her heart was beating and at each beat her chest clenched until she thought she could not breathe. She pressed a hand over to her heart, hoping the feeling, the painful and yet sweet feeling, would go down. She tried to sigh; she let out a whimper. Blood had gathered in her face and she felt like she was sitting in front of a fireplace.

Ever since she saw Miku again. She could not stop herself from looking; looking at the curve of her eyebrows, looking at her nose, her chin, her eyelashes, her closed eyes, her neck, her collarbone, her shoulders. The rise of her small breasts, the paleness of her skin, the curve of her delicate body.

Water. She wished for water. Cold water to drink and splash her face. Something that would force her out of this heat. This pain.

This burn.

Miku's eyes slowly opened, and watching it was like looking into a well as a precious stone was raised from it.

The tealette blinked a few times, rubbed her eyes sleepily, and began to slowly look around the room only turning her head. The teal orbs stopped upon reaching Luka, and a jolt went through the older girl.

"…Luka-senpai?" she said.

"Morning, Miku." Luka smiled, and wished her heart was as much hidden as she thought. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, but…" she paused as if confused, "why are you here? I didn't know today was your day off…"

Leaving out the sniffs and moans, Gumi's call had been to inform Luka that Miku was burning a fever, and although Shira was with Miku, she didn't know if Shira alone was enough; and then to ask for her help over the matter. Gumi herself was too busy to be near her, no matter how desperately she wished to take the day off. Luka had came expecting Miku to be groaning with bad cold, but found her certainly much better than that.

"I managed to get one," she said, not quite telling the truth. Luka briefly checked the teal girl's condition, managing to check her forehead without anything noticeable, and decided that she really was fine.

"…how am I?"

"Fine." Luka smiled. "You only need to take some more rest."

Miku shut her eyes and leaned back.

Having expected for everything but for Miku to become quiet, Luka awkwardly sat beside her, expecting Miku to speak something. The curtain of the four-post got in her way and she tried to brush it away when Miku mumbled something, so small that Luka was made to ask after.

"How are _you_?" Miku repeated.

For a moment Luka couldn't understand what she meant, but soon remembered that the incident in the car had been just last night.

Her breath caught in her throat.

"I… I forced a straight girl into kissing me just a week ago." Miku mumbled, turning her head away from Luka.

No.

Stop.

Miku was not supposed to mumble. She was supposed to talk, and more often yell. She giggled, she whistled. But now, Miku was weakened with fever and incapacitated with distress.

Shira had been right. She was weak. So weak.

"Then after I just managed to say sorry… _finally_ say sorry… I try to kiss her again." Miku gave a weak smile. "Pathetic, aren't I?"

No, Miku. It's me. I'm the pitiful one of us. I only ran away and got comforted; and then I'm here pretending nonchalance and acting like I can comfort you because comforting people is all I can do. Miku? Miku? Please, attack _me_. I deserve it. Stop blaming yourself. I, I—

"And… and now you hate me, right?" Miku whispered, one hand over her eyes. "I… I tried to kiss you again, although you must hate it, and… and…"

"Miku…" Luka said hurriedly, "I… I don't feel like that."

Miku turned around to her again, and Luka was painfully noticed that her eyes were wet with tears. "So you say, senpai." Her lips formed a bitter smile. "How do I know you aren't lying?"

"I…" Luka faltered.

"Prove it, senpai," Miku whispered. She was right, she thought. The answer she had reached last night in tears was right. Luka hated her. Of course she would hate her. "Could you prove it?"

Could she prove it?

Miku's demand sent a sudden shiver to her heart, making Luka clasp her hand over it.

Could she do it?

Could she save Miku from this distress?

She asked, then realized she could. She could take this weak Miku out from her pain. Take her out from her misunderstandings and judgments. But she could come up with only one way to do so. One way that asked her to throw so much away.

Luka looked once into the tealette's eyes, and they were hurt. The deep hurt Miku had inflicted over herself.

They were what made her resolve yes. As long as she could help her she could lose all she had. And upon her resolve her heart suddenly grew peaceful, finally away from her torture in so long a time.

She shall.

"I will."

Miku's eyes widened in surprise. Rippling her teal hair she tried to sit up, to ask, to question, and—

Hand. Hand so gentle she could not even think of resisting was wrapped behind her head, pulling her toward—

Luka's lips pressed to hers.

Miku's eyes fluttered; Luka's were peacefully closed. Pale sunlight of wintry morning wrapped them in its embrace. The very silence vibrated between them, pulling them tighter, and tighter, until Miku felt as if they had received a special place in this universe for themselves, forever and ever theirs, apart from all time and space.

Luka's lips parted from the tealette's. Miku became aware of a soft fragrance left on her tongue, one that reminded her of rose. Luka gazed down to the tealette's eyes, both her arms were around Miku in sometime she did not know. Miku stared into the blue orbs, unaware and uncomprehending; and yet the sensation had been imprinted in her memory.

_Wha...t?_

A tear slid down Luka's cheek. She was crying. She was crying because it was goodbye, good bye to what she had known and herself as she had known. With that kiss she would never be able to go back. That kiss had been the seal, of her new fate.

_Yes_.

She finally said it. The age long question that had been her torture.

_Yes._

_I like girls._

Gay. Lesbian. Yuri. Sapphic. Words and phrases referring to their kind, now _her_ kind.

The realization she was now alienated from what she had always known struck terrible loneliness into her. Yet relief also filled her heart. It was done. No more wonderings, no more sufferings, no more guesses. They were all over.

Never would she spend another night with a heart that wouldn't allow her sleep, never again would she have to tear her hair in frustration, never again she would have to cry alone in desperate confusion.

She was released.

She was free.

The old shackles dropped from her heart, Luka turned and wordlessly walked out, her steps like dancing. Only then did Luka remembered that this was where Miku kissed her.

Left alone in the room Miku raised her hand, and with it dazedly traced her lips.

"…That's the third," she whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Review... please.


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